Don't Speak
by Save-Ted24
Summary: Jude's marriage to Jamie is not all she hoped it would be, but she doesn't have the heart to give up on it. And then Tom Quincy comes along and tries to screw up everything. Should she let him? Or should she ignore a romance that finally feels real?
1. Chapter 1

_**Okay, don't hate me. I know I have a 'slightly' terrible habit of jumping around stories, but every time I come up with a new idea, I think it's better than the other ones so I focus my time and effort on the new one. Not only that, but I've also come up with an original idea for a story and I am SUPER EXCITED about it. It's a fantasy of sorts but I'm in love with it and it's characters and my old roommate says the plot twist at the end is perfect! I'm a bit giddy! hehe. Anywho, it's especially important that I get reviews for this new story because I want to know people's thoughts on my writing style. I need to know what works as am writing my non-fan fiction story. Hit me up, yo! Peace.**_

DON'T SPEAK

Chapter 1

_My name is Jude Harrison. I am 24 years old and can officially claim the title of married woman. _

_Being married is…different? I mean, it's nice, but different somehow. My 'on-again, off-again' boyfriend of five years proposed to me last September; and eight months later a shiny gold band found its home next to the engagement ring on my finger. As much as I enjoy this new life, I can't help but think about how it's all happened so fast. It's surreal, but I'm not saying that I regret it._

_You see, Jamie Andrews has been my best friend since…well, since playing Pog during recess was cool. He was the one person I could depend on the most, and I loved having him just be there for me. It was after our high school graduation when he first confessed his true feelings for me, and though I didn't reciprocate those feelings at the time, saying I wanted to be 'just friends' probably meant I'd lose him completely. I wasn't ready for that. So, a relationship ensued, and though it was far from perfect, with time I grew to love him._

_And that's how I ended up here, at this moment, putting all my wedding memories and photos into a collaborative album. We recently bought a loft in Chicago. Almost everything's packed and I can't wait to move down there. The Windy City is such a great opportunity for Jamie and me; Jamie wants to open his own recording studio where I will be one of his first artists. Someday it'll happen. For now, we'll just make do with what we have._

_I know I can't expect a fairytale life. At times Jamie will be wonderful, and other times I may get so mad I'll contemplate leaving him. But that will never happen. I made a promise years ago that divorce was not an option I'd ever consider, and that I'd do everything in my power to make my marriage work. I refuse to end up like my parents; miserable, alone, and consumed with remorse. Their biggest problem was that they gave up too easily. Fortunately, I've learned from their mistakes, and have made a pledge to myself to be the best wife a husband could ask for._

3 Months Later…

Jude walked into the kitchen yawning while stretching her arms out and above her head. She was clad in her usual sleeping attire: boxer shorts and a classic cartoon t-shirt—this one displayed the cast of Sesame Street underneath the words "Street Smart". Jude wasn't your conventional 24 year-old woman.

Jamie casually noticed Jude walk in as he sipped his black coffee and skimmed over _The Chicago Tribune_. He spoke, still keeping his gaze on the newspaper in front of him. "You're up incredibly early this morning." It was 9am.

"I'm not up; I'm sleepwalking." She seized the box of cereal on the counter and began searching for a bowl.

Jamie put down the morning paper and looked up to find the disheveled blonde rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. "I didn't know sleepwalkers could be this coherent." He cocked his head to the side just as Jude turned around to look at him with tired, sullen eyes.

"That's because sleepwalkers are highly underrated personalities," Jude stated lazily. She continued to hunt for something to put her cereal in. "I once devised an elaborate scheme to kidnap someone for ransom in my sleep. Never went through with it though…gosh, where are the frickin' bowls in this place! You'd think with only two people living here, six bowls would suffice!"

Jamie winced slightly, preparing to take the blame. "Sorry. I know it was my turn to do the dishes but I've been very busy with the whole 'entrepreneurship' matter." He added that last tidbit in hopes that it would make Jude more forgiving. After all, his hard work would eventually help them pay off their mortgage.

Jude shrugged. "No harm, no fowl." Jude gave another gratifying yawn before grabbing a plate from the cupboard above her. She crossed to the kitchen table and began pouring Captain Crunch into a giant heap on the dish.

Jamie gave his wife a skeptical look. "You know, if someone else was watching you do this, they may consider having you committed."

Grabbing a handful of her crunchy cereal, Jude then carelessly shoved it into her mouth. She replied before swallowing her food, making her words sound mumbled and unintelligible. "What? It's not 'ike I poured mi'k on it. 'ow '_at_ would be 'upid."

"Do you even hear yourself when you talk with your mouth full? You sound like an ape."

Jude swallowed hard, painfully regretting not grabbing something to wash her breakfast down. "Aw. I love you too."

Jamie sighed. "Jude, you know what I meant." Jude rolled her eyes at her husband as he continued to explain himself. "It's not like I chose my pet peeves. Talking with food in your mouth just happens to be one of them."

Jude scrunched up her face as she stared at Jamie, crunching her cereal animatedly. "Question: Am I a sadist if I have a recurring fantasy where I smash in your knee caps with a mallet?

Looking up at the ceiling, Jamie made an attempt to mull over Jude's comment. "Hm. Tell you what, let me sit on that for 24 hours, and I'll get back to you."

Jude shrugged her shoulders. "Take your time, I guess. Postponing the answer only increases the likelihood that I may live out that fantasy."

Jamie quickly glanced at his watch. "On that cue, I'm gonna head out." He gets up and busses his own bowl and coffee mug. "Today's a big day for me…I mean, us. I may have found a potential partner for this record company."

Jude's eyes instantly lit up. "You mean the money?"

"I don't know if I would call him that, but his large assets would certainly be beneficial if he was interested in my offer."

Jude furrowed her eyebrows and acted repugnant about his word choice. "Yeah, that didn't sound sexual at all. Maybe it'd be best if you stayed away from his 'large assets'." She laughed, amused by her own antics. "So, what's your 'potential partner's' name, then?"

"Don't be mad, but I'd rather not tell you just yet because I don't want to jinx this. If I tell you his name, and we end up not making a deal, it'll turn into one of those 'all for naught' deals, and I'd just like to adhere to my bizarre superstitions."

The pout on Jude's lips was evident. "You're no fun."

"I know, I know; but I promise that if this deal happens, you'll be the first one to hear all about him." Jamie went to grab his briefcase; Jude noticed how the item added to his lavish professionalism. "What time do you have work today?"

Jude brought her plate to the kitchen sink before answering. "I'm not needed till 1:30. Which means _I_ will be taking another nap."

Jamie shook his head in contempt as he headed for the door. "I think you're obsessed with sleeping. You should get some counseling for that."

Jude raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, I'll be sure to get right on that. Now go, or you're going to be late for your dorky, little business meeting. I, myself, have an appointment with my pillow and nothing you say can make me cancel it." Jude turned on her heels, marching toward their bedroom.

"Bye, sweetheart."

Jude's voice could be heard from the other room. "Good luck…and don't even think of coming back unless you have an investor." Jamie smiled and shut the door as he left.

The second Jude heard the door close, she grabbed her pillow and fleece blanket, walked out of the bedroom, and began her trek toward the guest room. The guest bed was comfier than her own, and she would use it to her advantage whenever she found the time, making sure Jamie never found out.

The following Thursday night, Jamie and Jude found themselves driving to a local bar and music venue, Schuba's, to meet Jamie's new partner.

"Really…really?" Jude had been on a non-stop rant ever since Jamie told her who his partner would be. "I mean, really, what are the odds that a famous ex-boy bander from Canada and a nobody music geek—no offense—from Canada both find each other in Chicago? Come on, really?"

Jamie was getting tired of responding to Jude's repetitive questioning. "As amazed as I am by your versatility with the word, if you say 'really' one more time, I just might go insane." He took a couple calming breaths. "And like I said before, a mutual friend knew both of our interests in starting a record company, and thought it would be a good idea for us to meet. He's actually a cool guy; knows a lot more about music than you'd think."

Jude was exasperated. She ran her fingers through her golden locks in frustration. "Yeah, but it's Tom Quincy…a.k.a. Little Tommy Q! My sister used to make me watch all the Boys Attack! music videos when we were younger, and I distinctly remember laughing at the ridiculous bandanas he'd wear…not to mention that cheesy choreography. It was like watching a scarier version of _Nightmare on Elm Street_. I mean, being in a boy band is _almost_ as stupid as running for office."

Too petrified to even look at his wife, Jamie kept his eyes on the road. "I'm gonna be honest here, Jude. You have too much hostility for someone your age. Just relax." He put his hand on Jude's leg and shook her gently to calm her nerves. "I can say without a doubt that you and Tommy will hit it off. He's a music-aholic just like you."

Jude sighed before forcing out a smile. "If you say so." She folded her arms and gazed out the window of their car, instantly bringing back her characteristic frown. Jude still wasn't confident that she would get along with her husband's partner, but she wasn't going to let him on to that fact.

They arrived at Schuba's a short while later. Parking was limited so they had to walk a ways, but Jude didn't mind. She loved walking around Chicago at night. Staring at the bright lights reflected in the night sky, it was like being in a whole other world full of mystery and excitement.

The venue was small, yet intimate. A local indie band known as Company of Thieves were performing onstage. Jude remembered hearing about them from a girl who lives in their apartment complex. The singer had a remarkable voice and, altogether, the music seemed to create the perfect ambiance. Jude felt right at home.

"Come on, Tommy should be around here somewhere." Jamie motioned for Jude to follow. For a split second she hesitated, but made up her mind to get the introduction over with. She didn't know why she was so nervous about meeting him. Jude had the tendency of letting her mouth run away from her, so she was probably afraid that accidentally saying something rash to Tommy might ruin their partnership. Jamie had wanted this opportunity for so long, and she refused to be the reason he couldn't have it.

The couple zigzagged their way through the throng of people enjoying the show. Jamie eventually spotted his partner off to the side, who was making polite conversation with the sound technician. Tommy was facing the other way, making it difficult for Jude to see how much he's changed over the years. He was wearing a navy blue blazer over a gray hoodie, paired with relaxed fit jeans and brown loafers. The money generated from being a pop sensation had taught him how to dress better; Jude could see that much.

Jamie approached Tommy from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around, Jamie's head blocked Jude's view of the ex-boy bander. The two men shook hands and talked briefly before Jamie's voice became more audible for Jude to hear. "Tommy, I want you to meet my wife, Jude Harrison. Jude, this is Tom Quincy."

When Jamie stepped out of the way, Jude was stunned by who she saw. Her breath hitched in her throat and her eyes were suddenly transfixed on the person in front of her. He seemed to be staring at her too, which made Jude slightly uncomfortable, yet she didn't want to look away. Tom Quincy was incredibly handsome. A lot different than how she remembered him on television six years ago, Jude found that the years had definitely treated him well.

Jude brought herself out of her momentary trance. "It's nice to finally meet you." She extended her hand, and Tommy took it welcomingly. Their joined hands created an electric pulse that coursed through both of their bodies, neither willing to acknowledge it. "Jamie's…uh…been boasting about you non-stop."

Tommy smiled. It made Jude's heart melt, though she would refuse to admit it. "There's nothing to brag about really. I'm just glad I can help in any way I can. I've wanted to put a company together for years now, just unable to find someone as motivated as I was to team up with."

There was a sudden awkward silence. Jude forgot to come up with anything to say, so she just stood there, aimlessly glancing around the crowded room.

Tommy sensed Jude's lapse in thought. "So, Jamie tells me you sing."

"Well, I don't know about that. I mean, I dabble."

Jamie interjected. "Don't be modest, honey." He stepped closer to Jude to wrap a possessive arm around her shoulder. She strangely felt upset that her husband stood so close to her. She immediately shook off those thoughts. "You've got an amazing gift."

Jude blushed. She never really liked being the center of attention, and in this case, it was worse. "What can I say? I love music. It's the one time I can be…me." She shrugged her shoulders like an innocent child.

"I feel the same way. Not to sound cheesy, but music has been the best way for me to really express myself."

"Oh, so Boys Attack was just you expressing yourself?" The words were out of Jude's mouth before she even had a chance to retract them. Quickly bringing her hand up to her mouth, she chastised herself for letting her vicious nature take over.

Tommy only grinned and let a small chuckle breathe past lips. "I was wondering when my colorful past would be mentioned. And to answer your question, no. That boy band stuff actually started as a way for me to make some quick cash; unfortunately, it soon escalated into something I couldn't escape, as much as I wanted to. I didn't feel at all like myself those years, and it wasn't until later that I realized how important music really was to me." Tommy leaned in closer to Jude, and she could feel his warm breath against her ear. "Don't look so scared. Questions like that come with the territory."

Jude didn't know how to react, so she just smiled weakly. His answer was unexpected, and surprisingly refreshing. Tom Quincy didn't seem like the selfish heartthrob he used to be; and what's more, Jude had the feeling he was hiding something…that something was probably what made him the person he is today.

During their brief conversation, Jamie had managed to answer a phone call without either of them noticing. "So, that was Daniel. He's having Kathryn call me back in a few minutes to discuss our leasing options and how to get around those zoning regulations for our location. I'm gonna step outside and take care of this. I shouldn't be long."

Tommy nodded his head. "Sounds good."

"Yeah." Jude was oblivious to what her husband had said, but still pretended to respond with confidence. "Good luck with getting that fixed." She didn't sound all too sure of herself.

Once Jamie excused himself, Tommy directed his attention at Jude again. "Daniel's our lawyer and Kathryn's a real-estate specialist we've been talking with."

Jude visibly shrunk as she sighed. "Thanks. You would think that since I'm living with the guy, he'd keep me somewhat informed." Silence ensued, growing more awkward by the second. Jude suddenly realized that she was alone with Tommy, and this made her more vulnerable than ever. She decided to turn the conversation back on him, hoping that getting to know him might make her a little more comfortable in his presence. "So…what kind of music do you usually listen to?"

Tommy shrugged his shoulders as he thought carefully about his answer. "I don't know. I really don't like categorizing my taste in music. I'll listen to almost anything, and I especially love songs or artists that stick out to me, one way or another. You know, bands that are unique with the way they create their sound."

"Wow, thanks for stealing my response." Jude was dumbstruck. "That was almost exactly what I was going to say if you would've asked me the same question."

Tommy smirked at Jude. "Great minds think alike, right?" Jude shook her head in embarrassment. "Alright, music buff, let's hear your top five?"

"What? Songs or bands?"

"Bands, of course. Why? Do you have a top five song list, too?"

"More like a top 100, but that's a story for another day." Jude tried to recall her favorite music as Tommy stared at her with his jaw hanging open. Jude ignored his exaggerated expression. "Okay, #5 has to be Veruca Salt."

Tommy looked at Jude suspiciously. "I should've known you'd be into angry girl music." Jude glared at Tommy. "Your list is gonna be all 90s, isn't it?"

Jude put her hand up to speak. "First of all, I don't think I need to defend my choices to you. Second of all, I'm not done." She stopped to take a breath before getting back to her list. "#4 is Otis Redding." Tommy opened his mouth to retort, but actually agreed with her choice. Jude quickly took note of his speechlessness. "Ha, take that, bitch."

Resting his index finger against his cheek, Tommy gazed around bewildered. "Did you just call me a bitch?"

Jude's eyes grew wide. She didn't know what to say. "Um…yeah, I think I did. And I honestly don't know why, considering I only say offensive and extremely sarcastic things to my closest friends."

Tommy attempted to find meaning in her words. "So, the fact that you called me a bitch, means that you already think of me as a friend?"

Jude scrunched up her face, something Tommy found absolutely adorable. "In a weird way…yes?"

Tommy smiled, allowing his beautifully whitened teeth to glisten in the little light that was visible in the room. "Fine by me."

"Okay, let's get back to my list; and no more interruptions." Jude tried to remember where she left off. "#3 would be Radiohead, because what music lover doesn't listen to them?"

"Touché." Tommy kept his response short so Jude could finish.

"#2 is the greatest experimental band of the 80s and 90s, none other than the Pixies. And my #1 is—drum roll, please—The Who, fronted by Roger Daltrey with Pete Townshend on lead guitar. The greatest pair in rock and roll history, in my opinion."

Tommy cocked his head in surprise. "Really?"

Jude mocked offense. "What, you don't take me for a Who fan?"

"Well, to be honest, there aren't too many 'avid' ones out there in the first place. In my book, you either love The Who or Led Zeppelin…and it's quite obvious where the majority lies."

"Exactly!" Jude's voice rose in excitement. "It pisses me off how many people I see, teenagers especially, walking around with Led Zeppelin t-shirts on, and it just doesn't make sense to me because there's only three songs that I enjoy from Led. Pete Townshend is such a better writer. His songs have actual meaning and speak volumes; things that people can actually relate to."

Tommy was staring at Jude in amazement. "Wow. You really are passionate about music."

"Please, I'm just getting warmed up." His stare was beginning to make Jude uncomfortable again. She looked away and began to take in her surroundings. "Alright, I think it's time to hear your top five."

Tommy flashed a cocky grin. "Mine's real easy; Foo Fighters, Pink Floyd, The Who, The Velvet Underground, and The Kinks." Tommy listed all the names off of his hand.

Jude nodded her head in approval. "Impressive list. You're a Who fan too, I see."

"Well, I think the name says it all. My parents named me after their famed 1969 rock opera."

"See, yet another thing we have in common. How do you think I got my name?"

Tommy was obviously familiar with the popular Beatles song. "Yeah, I did kinda make that connection. So, exactly how tired are you of people saying 'hey, Jude' every time they see you?"

Jude rolled her eyes. "Oh my gosh, I can't even begin to explain my fury toward that song. I mean, don't get me wrong, I like my name. It's original and fits me perfectly, but that freaking song haunts me like a ghost. Most people don't even realize that the song was about John Lennon's son, Julian. Even the man I'm betrothed to likes to say it every once in a while. I'm glad he thinks it's funny."

"Well, as long as you don't say 'Tommy, can you hear me?', I won't say 'Hey, Jude'."

Jude laughed but was definitely able to agree to those terms. "Deal."

Tommy was about to ask Jude another question when Jamie popped up out of nowhere. "Man. _That_ was exhausting. Sometimes all this technical mumbo-jumbo can bore a person to tears."

Jude looked at her husband curiously and shook her head. "Yeah, except you're not that person, geek. I know for a fact that using all that fancy business terminology gets you hard."

Jamie looked up at Tommy, slightly embarrassed by Jude's forwardness. "She's just kidding. She says strange things like that all the time." Jude gave a sly grin, proud of her accomplishments. Jamie was now ready to go home, but not wanting to admit that he was tired, he came up with another excuse. "I hope you guys had an interesting talk, but we've got a long day tomorrow, so it'd probably be good to call it a night."

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, sure; no problem. Call me when you want to check over that open lot again." Tommy shook Jamie's hand one last time, and then slowly looked back at Jude. "It was…uh, really great to meet you, Jude." He sounded nervous and it sent chills up Jude's spine.

"Yep; you too." She hoped Tommy wouldn't try and shake her hand again, unsure of how she'd respond to more contact with him. He didn't.

The couple turned around and made their way through the dying crowd, looking for the nearest exit. As they were leaving, Jude couldn't fight the urge to glance back at Tommy, and as she did so, he was still staring right at her. She quickly turned her head back around and walked with her husband out the main door.

_Um…did that just happened?_


	2. Chapter 2

There was a small stain on the arm of the olive green couch Tommy was sitting on. It was course—the stain had already saturated the fibers of the earthy material—and blood red in color. As Tommy's finger lightly brushed over the now hardened liquid, he intentionally distracted himself by guessing its origin. Jamie could have been munching on a jelly donut, and the jelly just missed its target. Jude could have been eating spaghetti, and some marinara sauce accidently dripped down as she hastily slurped on a noodle. He honestly didn't care what the mystery condiment was, but thinking about it helped him get his mind off of…well, other things. And Jamie droning on and on wasn't helping any.

Over the last few weeks, Tom Quincy was a frequent guest at the Andrews/Harrison home. He was there so often it wouldn't have been criminal to charge him rent; but neither Jamie nor Jude saw Tommy's visits as a burden. And it wasn't as if he always showed up unannounced. Jamie usually had him over to conduct their business meetings, preferring the atmosphere of his apartment over a local hang-out or coffee shop. It was quieter here, with fewer distractions. The only real distraction, of course, was Jude. This was the one distraction that forced Tommy to ponder over jelly donuts and spaghetti. Jamie would continuously lecture about potential business plans or recruitments, while Tommy sat half-listening as the somber strum of Jude's guitar combined with the drowsy elegance of her voice echoed from the room down the hall. Jamie would constantly apologize for the noise disruption and Tommy would casually brush it off as nothing.

But it wasn't nothing. As hard as he tried…as hard as he focused on irrelevant stains, her voice could never be nothing to him, because, in truth, he would rather listen to her sing than hear any other sound in the world. Every time the passion broke in her voice, it made Tommy's heart beat a little faster. Of course, these thoughts and feelings remained unspoken. She was a true artist, he knew it all too well, but telling her how he felt about her music was a different story. He was afraid of her reaction, of how she'd take his compliments. He didn't want to come off as a crazed fanatic, but that was kind of how he felt. Her voice had become an obsession to him.

Lucky for him, any opportunities to speak to Jude in private were few and far between. Usually when Tommy came over, he and Jude would only make time for polite conversation—nothing too detailed—before Tommy was dragged away by Jamie into a discussion of less than interesting—yet slightly pressing—facts and figures. Jamie had the tendency to be all rules and statistics, and sometimes, it would be too much for Tommy, and he'd have to take a step away from the corporate claustrophobia.

There was one afternoon, however, when Tommy worked up the smallest bit of courage he had left to approach Jude on his own accord. The temporary hiatus of their meeting--due to an urgent phone call Jamie had to take—gave Tommy the best chance he could get to talk to Jude, and he wasn't going to ignore it.

He found her sitting pretzel-style on her bed, leaning over her guitar as she wrote in her spiral notebook. Her blonde, wavy locks hung over her face as she wrote; the tangled mess not bothering her enough to be carelessly brushed aside.

Once Jude was finished writing, she tossed the pen on the bed, removed the pick that lay secure between her full lips, and began strumming her guitar again. Her voice soon filled the room, as Tommy stood watching, utterly captivated.

_I've been crawling  
To the mountains  
Skinned my knees with blood and hope  
If I stayed standing  
I'd be drowning  
The rising waters made me choke  
_

_  
As I am getting nearer  
My mission is coming…_

Out of the corner of her eye, Jude saw something move and quickly pressed her hand against the strings to cease the vibrations. Her initial instinct assumed it was Jamie coming in to tell her to '_keep her musings to herself until the meeting was through._' Jude twisted her torso sideways to get a better look at her husband before he would lay out his taxing discourse. She had to at least look like she was listening. It was then that her whole body momentarily froze; eyes gaping wide then sinking back in before the man in front of her could take note of her response. She could see the raw emotion absorbed in his features as she stared back at him. He must have been listening to her song. He continued to stare at her, but it was different now. His seemingly 'adoring' gazes did not produce the sheer discomfort as they once did because she had gotten used to having him around. She was actually beginning to like it when he stared at her…but that was a locked-box secret that had no key.

Her voice was timid at first, only a notch above a whisper. "Sorry. Am I being too loud again? I can close the door, or go up on the roof if need be."

Tommy smiled while leaning his body against the door frame. "What's the chorus?"

The off-handed question made Jude second guess herself, wondering if he was being sincere in his request. But Tommy remained stoic for several seconds, never peeling his eyes away from her, and the vacant gesture convinced her enough to oblige him and continue where she had left off.

_I know this road  
Never seen it before  
I know what lies behind unopened doors  
I saw the signs from the distant shore  
That I couldn't ignore...  
I'm heading for higher ground_

Jude refused to look at Tommy while she sang, thinking one little mistake might leave her completely exposed. She knew he was still staring, could feel the energy course through her body as the heat from his eyes lingered on her. After the chorus ended, she felt prepared—at least as much as the definition required---for the ridicule or disapproving remarks that had a high chance of taking place. Jude picked her head up to make eye contact with Tommy once again. "So…what's the verdict? I mean, since you'll be producing some of the music at your new label, you better be able to give some good feedback."

Tommy cocked an eyebrow. _Jude, don't think that's sexy. Don't you dare think that's sexy._ "You want my feedback?"

Jude placed the guitar on the other side of the bed and uncrossed her legs, now supporting her weight with her arms. "Sure. If I'm going to make a contract with you guys, the least you can do is prove to me that your producers are qualified."

"I guess that's fair." Tommy was nervous, making that apparent as he shifted uneasily against the frame. In truth, the song was perfect. Her velvet, smooth vocals could make an Irish drinking song sound perfect…sober. But praising her unreserved perfection would not improve her doubt over his abilities as a music producer. It was important for him to prove to everyone, and especially her, that he had changed since his past life (formerly known as Boys Attack!). "Well, I'm wondering…I mean it's really good, but…well, if you maybe start in D instead of G at the beginning of the chorus, it might blend a little better with the verses. You know, generate smoother transitions and all that."

Jude sat and thought about Tommy's suggestion for a second. She then picked up the guitar and did the first few chords of the chorus. She repeated this three times before nodding her head. "Sounds like the Q-Man's done his homework."

Tommy pushed himself away from the entryway and walked into the room, inching closer to Jude. "I wouldn't necessarily call it homework. I told you already that I'm not the same person that people think I am. So, don't be surprised if I turn out a couple hit tunes at Progressive Records."

Jude crinkled her nose, not quite sure how to let Tommy down easily. "Progressive Records? That's what you've finally decided on? You might as well call it Stupid Fresh, Inc." She decided that letting him down easy was not in her agenda.

Tommy sighed. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing." Jude absent-mindedly played with a loose string hanging off of the bedspread as she mumbled under her breath, still talking at a level loud enough for Tommy to hear. "I mean, cheesiness has been your forte, so I guess it works."

"Look, to be honest, I don't care what the fuck it's called. But I'm putting a lot of money into it so it better be something good enough to actually attract artists." He began to feel his hands tremble before they instinctively balled into fists, a sure sign that she was making him lose his temper. He didn't know why he was mad at her though. She was speaking the truth, after all. "I mean, if you hate it that much and want to talk your husband out of it, be my guest."

He watched as Jude seemed to hold her breath; unmoving; her face turning a darker shade of red every couple of seconds and acting as if she was a balloon in the verge of bursting. She found her release as her mouth jerked open and the giggles she had been trying to suppress, uncoiled. They vibrated loudly against the walls, permeating through Tommy's senses as he attempted to take in why she was laughing.

There was no rhyme or reason to her raucous fit, leaving him anxious and confused. "I don't remember telling a joke," Tommy etched in, hoping to quiet her mirth.

"Sorry." Light chuckles still fluttered from her belly, but quickly soothed out into a silent shudder. Jude tried to keep a straight face while explaining herself to the blushing man, only knowing that the tiresome battle would soon end in defeat. "You just sound really…funny when you curse. And you looked so…angry…it was just too much."

"I'm glad you find my pain so amusing." He was obviously being sarcastic, reflecting a tiny ounce of hurt in his eyes.

Jude fell out of hysterics when she noticed his expression. Her face now reciprocated his, but with an added note of concern. "No, that's not what I meant at all. I was just trying to…and I thought it was kind of funny that…well, you've never swore before and…"

"Jude, don't get yourself worked up over this. I'm just messing with you." That sly smile of his had appeared on his face again.

Her soft features grew harsh as she glared, narrowing her eyes. "What?"

Tommy shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not upset that you were laughing at me. I just wanted to see you feel guilty."

Jude thought on her feet, deciding not to respond with words. She reached for the pillow on the other side of the guitar, and threw the pitch before warming up. The overexerted force used to chuck the pillow efficiently at her target—Tommy—caused her muscles to twitch in pain, but she would ignore it long enough so that Tommy wouldn't make fun of her bad karma.

He wasn't able to lift up his arms in time. Defenseless, the soft, billowing material struck Tommy square in the face, pushing his head back and disorienting his thoughts for the briefest of seconds. When he looked back up at her again, her eyes were fierce, begging him to challenge her again. "Okay, okay. Truce. Let's just move onto a new topic." His tone became more serious as he got over the initial shock of the one-sided brawl that just took place. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you, I just never found the opportunity."

She eyed him skeptically until she was satisfied with his misdirection. "Shoot."

"Your name. You go by Jude Harrison, yet you're married to an Andrews. Care to explain?"

Jude answered the question like it was something she's said all her life. "Oh, that's just a personal choice. I like my last name better than his. 'Jude Harrison' has a better ring to it than 'Jude Andrews', especially if I do pursue my musical career."

Tommy didn't understand the last part of her answer, so he pried for further clarification. "What do you mean 'if' you do?"

"Well, I'm not quite sure if 2 a.m. recording sessions and three-month long concert tours would be a right fit for me."

Tommy gaped at Jude. "Um…I don't know how else to put it other than, you have to. You can't just avoid your talent when you've got a voice like that."

An unabashed grin formed on Jude's face. "Was that a compliment, Tom Quincy?"

"It might have been." Tommy's cheeks were slightly flustered as he stared at the carpet below him. Time for that misdirection technique again. "Plus, the whole tour thing is something you get used to, and long nights of Chinese food and great music are never something to turn down."

Jude's grin grew wider as she bit her lip. "Well, I'm gonna ignore your excuses and accept your compliment for what it is. I also encourage many more in the future."

"Hey, Tom? Where'd you go?" Jamie's voice echoed through the apartment, igniting a nonverbal response from both Tommy and Jude.

Jude was the first to speak of the intrusion. "To be continued, I suppose." Tommy took that as his cue to leave, but not without giving Jude a heartfelt smile before doing so. The latest butterflies fluttering wildly in Jude's stomach would be her constant companion for the rest of the day.

* * *

Jude hated her body's response to Tommy. It didn't happen all the time, but every once in a while, her stomach would tie up in knots, and her fingers would tingle like mad, making her feel as if something was about to spontaneously explode out of them. It was an awkward sensation, and she found it even more difficult to control it in his presence.

During the times she wasn't feeling this way, Jude did enjoy Tommy's friendship. Jamie and Jude were still fairly new to the Windy City, and it was nice to see a friendly face and have someone understand all of her references to home, in grand, old Canada. Tommy happened to run into Jude on her way to the nearby Starbucks one morning and, being as he had nowhere important to be, decided to join her for a well-needed caffeine stimulant.

"Wait, you grew up in New Brunswick? What part?"

"Uh, Hartland."

Jude got excited and almost spilled her Chai Tea. "No shit! I'm from Cloverdale. Wow. What are the odds that two French-Canadians from New Brunswick meet for the first time in the U.S.?"

"Pretty slim odds, if you ask me." Tommy wanted to learn as much as he could about Jude with the time he had with her in the quaint, little coffee shop. They were seated in two oversized, cushioned chairs that were separated by a small, wooden table. An electric fireplace stood in the center of the café. "So, I noticed a display case in your apartment filled with Pez dispensers…and I don't really take Jamie for the kind of guy that collects trinkets."

Jude felt a twinge of embarrassment as she covered her face from Tommy's view. "Yeah." She crossed her arms on the table and leaned forward to rest on them, wearing a sheepish grin. "I collect Pez Dispensers…well, that's an understatement. I collect a _lot_ of things: old books, LPs, even Barbie ornaments. But Pez Dispensers were my first 'obsession' so they're kind of near-and-dear to me."

Tommy smirked as he stirred the cream in his coffee. "That's cute."

Jude became indignant, instantly sitting straight up. "Okay, it's not 'cute'. Having a collection is a lot more work than people realize, especially with Pez. You can't just buy whatever one you see; once you start working on a certain theme—take, for example, Star Wars—you can't buy Pez for a different collection until you've completed that one. I wasted a shitload of gas when looking for all the superheroes." Jude suddenly realized she had gone off on a ridiculous rant, and could already feel her cheeks warming. She covered them instinctively.

"You don't need to be embarrassed in front of me, Jude. I happen to like your quarks. They're what make you…you."

"I don't care what you say; mortification has already sunk in. Therefore, the only way to recover is for you to admit something embarrassing." Jude noticed Tommy shift uncomfortably in his chair, yet he shrugged his shoulders as if there was nothing to say. "Oh, come on. Look back in time, to when boy bands ruled the earth. You can't avoid humiliation when you're on tour like that all the time."

Tommy looked reluctant, but agreed to please her. "Alright, but what I'm about to tell you can never be mentioned again. You can't even tell Jamie."

Jude waved a hand in the air. "Like I share all my secrets with him in the first place."

Tommy took note of her remark, but instead focused on the story he had much displeasure in telling. "So…there was this girl."

"Ooh. All my favorite stories start this way." Jude was way too excited for her own good as she leaned in closer.

He shook his head. "We were…going back to my hotel room after a show in Arizona, and I'm starting to realize this is much more embarrassing than your Pez binge, so maybe I should come up with a different one."

Jude's hair splayed across her face wildly as she violently shook her head at Tommy. "No, no, no. It's too late to back out. I already know about a girl, a hotel room, and Arizona. I'm not leaving this chair until the credits role on this one."

Tommy had to admit that Jude was a clever girl, and definitely had a way with words. He could listen to her talk for hours. But now it was his turn to talk and her turn to listen. He dreaded every second of it. He made sure to keep his voice low so no one else in the coffee shop had bragging rights over his little secret. "Okay, okay. We were in my hotel room making out like teenagers…well, 'cause I was one…and, uh, knowing one thing would soon 'lead to another'." Jude rolled her eyes at Tommy's use of air quotes and the fact that he avoided saying _sex_. "And this girl was gorgeous; you know the type, legs up to here, smooth, creamy skin…did I mention she was older than me."

"Look at you being a bad ass 15 year-old." Jude's comment came out more snarky than she planned.

"Hey," Tommy began defensively, "for the record, I was 18. She was 25, but obviously had a thing for guys in boy bands because she attacked me as soon as she found an opportunity to do so." This is where the story got grim, and Tommy wasn't sure if he could go on. He looked down and swirled the wooden stirrer in his paper coffee cup. "Anyway, clothes were quickly discarded and she showed me how willing she was to go all the way, but…"

His words were gone and Jude was growing impatient. "But what?"

"Well, I guess I was nervous being with an older woman and I couldn't…I kinda had trouble…"

"Geez, Tommy! The suspense is killing me." Realization suddenly dawned on Jude. She covered her mouth in response to contain her giggles. "Oh my god! Are you saying you couldn't get it up?"

Tommy wasn't expecting Jude to be so blunt about his problem. "Shh! I don't think it's necessary for everyone in Chicago to know about a minor…impotence issue."

The second the word 'impotence' was mentioned, Jude keeled over with laughter. Her head flew between her legs, and her convulsing body was evidence that she wouldn't cease laughing anytime soon. Tommy gave Jude time to get it out of her system, knowing this could very well take a while. A few minutes later, Jude came back up with tears in her eyes. Tommy stared at Jude with his arms crossed as his lips formed a thin line.

Jude felt bad for laughing as hard as she did, even though his story was definitely in the top 10 of the funniest things someone's ever told her. This could even beat out that time her friend Kat showed her the shrine she made for Dustin Diamond (Screech from Saved by the Bell).

Her laughter had soon died down and Tommy was still looking at her in that scorned, heartbroken sort of way. Jude put her hands up to protest. "I'm sorry, okay. I just wasn't expecting that to be the climax of your story." In her head, she considered adding 'or lack there of' but thought better of it due to Tommy's current state of embarrassment. "Wait, so, you were never able to…'rise to the occasion'?"

Tommy hung his head low and gave a nonverbal response that meant 'no'. He quickly felt like he needed to defend himself in front of Jude. "I swear, though, that was the only time it ever happened. I've had zero complaints since her. It's just not what I consider one of my finest moments."

Jude promptly raised her hand to her mouth again to disguise from Tommy the smile and small snort that desperately wanted to come out. "How did she react?"

"Oh, I'd say pretty much the same way you did." Jude blushed from cheek to cheek. "After the initial disappointment she just couldn't ignore the 'hilariousness' of the situation."

"Well, be lucky you've never come across her again. Chances are she remembers also and has a running joke about it with her friends." Jude finished off what was left of her Chai Tea.

Tommy looked at Jude strangely. "Thanks, friend. You sure know how to cheer a person up," Tommy added sarcastically.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I just figured you'd want a girl's perspective on the whole ordeal. And don't worry about it, the odds of you two running into each other are slim to none." She grinned at him eagerly, trying to make amends.

He found his anger melt away after noticing the smile on her face. She didn't seem completely mortified by his 'Arizona Memoir', which was somewhat comforting to him. Tommy was actually still surprised he was able to tell a beautiful girl like Jude all about his most embarrassing moment. _Probably because she's off-limits_, Tommy silently thought to himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**This is one of my favorite chapters! It was this scene I saw in my head the most when first developing this story. Hope you guys like it! Please review; they make me giddy!**

Chapter 3

The bright red numbers on the digital clock did more than tell time in the dark and ominous silence. It was 4:17 a.m. and those three simple numbers blaringly reminded Jude that she shouldn't be up this late. Every time she looked at the clock to watch the time lapse, the clarity of her focus would blur in and out, making the numbers interlock into a single, cohesive unit. She knew she was exhausted, her eyes sending warning signals of that well-known fact. But she couldn't go to sleep. More over, she _wouldn't_ go to sleep.

You see, wanting to sleep was not the problem. It was clear her body and mind needed rest; imagining herself blissfully immersed between her cotton sheets as her serene and lurid surroundings dulled her senses enough to slip into a peaceful slumber.

No. The problem lied in what would happen after her consciousness was temporarily suspended. Sleep, according to Jude, meant that her subconscious self would repeatedly remind her of the very thing she wanted to suppress…of what she couldn't escape. It didn't stop her from trying, of course. As a distraction, Jude had spent the last two hours watching _SportsCenter_, before pretending to be interested in a report about the bailout on _Anderson Cooper 360_. It was all she could think of to get away from it all.

Now being past four in the morning, her eyes growing more unfocused and distant by the minute, Jude felt that the useless information strategically placed in her head could occupy her thoughts for the rest of the night. She'd be dreaming about unauthorized mortgages and incomplete passes in no time. Even if she was a little hesitant, she needed to attempt sleep before she turned into a raging monster and terrorized the city. Sleep deprivation was the Mr. Hyde to her Jekyll; if let loose, there'd be no stopping it.

Jude slowly, but surely, drifted off into a dream-like oblivion…unfortunately recalling the events of the evening in her head once it was too late to turn back…or, more accurately, wake up.

………

The day had been perfect. Jude didn't have work, and Jamie was gone. Normally that would sound harsh, coming from his own wife, but Jamie was the type of man who lived by Ben Franklin's 'early to bed, early to rise' philosophy and he felt that Jude should jump on that bandwagon as well. Her irritation reached new levels when he tried to wake her before noon on weekends. Not this time. Jude slept until she ran out of things to dream about.

Once Jude managed to get up and about, she decided to take a walk down Michigan Ave., with no intention of spending a penny. But it was really hard saying no to those three stores that were calling her name with their gigantic sale and clearance signs. A woman can't have too many shoes, CDs, or cocktail dresses. That was a city girl's prerogative, and it was time Jude started embracing that lifestyle. Boy, did it feel fabulous and look exquisite.

It was early evening when Jude got back. She wasn't hungry yet, so before settling down, she thought it would be a good idea to tidy up the apartment a bit. Her method involved doing dishes, picking up dirty laundry, and dusting the fixtures while dancing along to the new David Bowie album she bought. She never did this unless she knew no one was watching. Having the house to herself was the perfect way to spend her day off.

All-in-all, the day had gone swimmingly. Since cooking sounded unappealing and would put a damper on her day of ultimate perfection, Jude ordered take-out and was in the middle of watching _Roman Holiday_ when the buzzer rang. She flounced over to the intercom to find out who was interrupting her 'alone' day. "Who is it?" Jude asked in a sing-song voice.

"Jude, it's me."

She recognized that voice in a heartbeat. He sounded rugged and manly, yet there was a sweet, gentle edge to his tone. "Come on up, Tommy." She pushed the button to let him in and cracked the door open before instinctively fixing her messy hair and semi-wrinkled shirt.

Tommy still knocked on the door when he finally arrived, unable to shake his overly polite habits—even though this place had practically become a second home to him. His handsome and muscular form stood at the doorway in front of Jude. He was dressed sharp; more so than usual, which didn't say much since he always looked good in what he wore. His hair was styled; his shirt was pressed. Black definitely suited him. Jude, as always, was glad to see him, but still showed genuine surprise by his arrival. "Hey, Tom. Did you leave something here?"

"Uh, no. Actually, I came to see if Jamie wanted to meet a friend of mine who's looking for a job. Is he busy tonight?"

Jude looked at Tommy apologetically. "More than busy; he's in New Brunswick right now. He left yesterday and I think he said he won't be back till tomorrow morning or something. Sorry 'bout that."

"No, that's cool. New Brunswick, huh? Is he getting homesick already?" Tommy found the situation slightly ironic since it was clear, from the few, short months he'd known the pair, that Jude was the one who had the most trouble adjusting to the city. She liked it, of course, but sometimes the busyness of it all forced Jude to shut herself up in her apartment for days on end.

"I guess you could call it that. His Nana was feeling out of sorts and Jamie, as you may know, is _always_ willing to go above and beyond to help that woman if she asks for it." Jude knew the conversation could end there. Her silence would instigate a formal farewell and he would leave in time for her to get through at least two more of the Audrey Hepburn classics. But she didn't want him to go just yet. "So, what does this friend of yours do?"

"Right now, he just does tech work at a bar, but he's done sound mixing and engineering and would like to get back into it, so I told him I'd try to help him out."

Jude smiled. "That's what friends are for, right?"

He hoped not responding wouldn't offend her. He was too busy staring at his feet as they shifted around on the carpet, doing his best impression of a nervous teenager asking a girl to prom. It was all accidental, though. He really _was_ nervous, which was something extremely unusual for a guy who used to never arrive at a hotel without a female escort. "You know, the bar he works at is actually…it's pretty cool. They have open mic tonight as well…would you be interested in going? That is if you're not already doing something else."

Jude was caught off guard. It almost sounded like he was asking her out. But Jude made sure to put that thought in the back of her mind, knowing full well she was reading into it too much. He knew she was married. He just wanted to hang out…as friends. She liked the opportunities she got to spend with Tommy, and this wouldn't be any different.

Cuddling up on the couch with Hepburn, Peck, Bogart, and Holden was a rare treat for Jude—Jamie was more of a Katherine than Audrey fan when it came to Hepburns—but she was beginning to consider Tommy's proposal. The main reason was because it was a Saturday night. She wasn't ignorant toward Jamie's less than subtle hints about how much time she spent in the apartment. He wanted her to get out and socialize; meet new people. Tonight would be the perfect way to start that trend. "You know what, sure! I'd love to. Urgh, can you give me a couple minutes to change though?" She looked down at her appearance, hinting to Tommy that arriving at a bar in grey sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt would be a less than flattering circumstance.

"Absolutely. Take all the time you need." He was floating; on cloud nine. He couldn't believe she actually said yes. He was asking her on a long shot, hoping his feelings wouldn't be too hurt if she turned him down. But she agreed, and now he was going to spend more time with…with her.

"Great. I won't be long. Feel free to roam around the apartment. I saw you eyeing my album collection the other day. You can take a closer look if you want. Just keep them in the plastic cover…ooh, and make sure they stay in that order." Tommy nodded his head before Jude ran to her bedroom to get dolled up. He knew Jude was a tad 'anal' about her music, but he kind of liked the dedication involved in it. Collecting records was her thing; and she wouldn't let anyone taint it.

He quickly found all of Jude's LPs stacked in three colorful crates in the corner of the living room. He'd seen the piles before, but never had the time to actually go through them since he was usually here on 'business'. Tommy knelt down and began sifting through the crate furthest to the left. He was impressed. Not only did she have decent taste, which included some rare albums that people would spend big bucks for, but she also found the time to alphabetize the records by artist (and then by year). The chronology of her Beatles albums was extensive. It was like getting a quick glimpse at their entire career as musicians. There must have been over 300 mint-condition records sitting in front of him. He had to admit, when Jude had a hobby, she gave it her undivided attention, making sure every detail was just right.

Tommy had barely gotten through the second crate when he heard a voice behind him. "All set."

"Hey, I've got a question for you. How long did it…"

Tommy turned around as he began asking the question, but his words were useless the moment he saw her. It was like seeing a mirage in the desert; the one thing he desired the most appearing right in front of him. He may have come off as an ogling fool, but she looked too exquisite to ignore. She was wearing a black dress, made spectacular by a silver band that fastened around her waist. The strappy, black heels matched perfectly, adding to her classy, yet humble, style. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail; a few strands carelessly clung to her face. What he liked most was that she didn't whore herself out with lavish make-up, applying only a few, simple touch ups here and there to emphasize the natural glow of her honey-kissed skin.

Jude noticed the slight drop of Tommy's jaw as he took in her appearance, and turned her lips up into a smug smile, putting a hand on her waist. "Wow, Quincy. Do I look _that_ good?"

Tommy brought himself back down to earth at the sound of her voice. He usually didn't act as foolhardy around gorgeous women, so he tried to cover his tracks and act nonchalant about it. He rolled his eyes. "Don't act all innocent, Jude. You know you look fantastic." The blush formed on Jude's face before she had time to realize it. She turned around to grab her purse, hoping Tommy didn't notice the heat rising in her cheeks.

She needed to say something as a distraction, to clear her mind and misdirect his. "Do you think it'll get cold later? I'm debating whether or not to bring my jacket."

"Um, it might. I'd grab it just in case." He was still staring—hadn't really stopped—but with her back to him, Jude didn't feel as incapacitated by his gaze.

Rummaging through her closet, Jude eventually pulled out a pale green pea coat. They then left the apartment and got into Tommy's viper.

"So, where's this bar anyway?" Jude asked impatiently. They had been on the road for at least twenty minutes, finding it somewhat difficult to jump into small chit-chat—though they'd always managed to do it with ease before. Jude wasn't sure why, but something felt different about tonight.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you. If you haven't noticed already, it's not in Chicago. It's in a suburb…Naperville. We should be there in about 15 minutes."

Jude let out an intentional sigh. "That's a relief. I didn't want to say anything, but for a second there, I thought I'd been kidnapped and you were taking me to some abandoned warehouse."

"No. Actually, that won't happen till after we hit the bar. You see, I have to get you really drunk first so you don't remember where I take you." His tone was so serious that it made his phony confession sound even more amusing to Jude.

"And I'm guessing that if it wasn't for date rape, you'd never get laid?"

"I can't lie. Sublime hit the nail on the head with that song." Tommy turned his head to smile at Jude, which she easily reciprocated. She was glad they were able to joke around like normal friends again. Their initial awkward conversations that night were not something either one of them were proud to admit, and once the edgy confines of their comfort dissolved until it was almost nonexistent, they were more than willing to never return to it.

The rest of the trip was fairly silent, but a silence that was comfortable enough to tolerate. The radio was on, but only loud enough to recognize what song was being played. Jude didn't pay much attention to it, anyway. She found solace in the gentle hum of the engine, letting the soft purrs echo her thoughts and feelings. Every acceleration made her heart race, and when Tommy would ease on the gas, her body's natural response was to relax and form a mold of herself in the cozy leather seat.

Before Jude realized it, they were at their destination. Her silent thoughts had somewhat warped her vision, so she was completely unaware of her surroundings until now. Tommy was turning onto a street that lead them to a dazzling, little downtown area. Stringed lights wrapped around the trees, giving off almost as much light as the lamp posts, both of which lined the sidewalks. The abundance of light made the town glow against the late night sky. There were wall-to-wall buildings full of restaurants and shops; though not something they could explore as many places had closed up for the night. The only people that lingered were going to and from the bars and restaurants.

Jude had already been impressed by the night life of Chicago and she didn't think it could be more beautiful anywhere else. Now standing in front of an antique shop, amidst twinkling lights that lit up the sky, Jude felt like she was in a fairytale.

"This place is so adorable." Jude was smiling ear-to-ear as she slowly spun around to take in all the sights. "After seeing this, I think I want to move."

Tommy looked at Jude with his head cocked to the side. "You sure make up your mind quickly, don't you?"

Jude rolled her eyes. "Okay, so maybe I won't be that rash, but I just really like it here." She continued to smile brightly, the atmosphere generating a warm, pleasant feeling within her.

"Yeah, Kwest told me this town is always busy. Chances are you'll find more tourists than actual residents." Tommy lightly placed his hand on the small of Jude's back to lead her in the right direction. "Come on. The bar's this way." Jude could barely feel his touch, and craved it all the more. She shook her head of those thoughts and continued to look around at all the unlit shops they passed on their way.

In thick, gold letters, the words _The Lantern_ were splayed above the door they eventually walked through and Jude briefly recalled Tommy mentioning that name earlier. He also said it was small, so she naturally expected some dingy, cramped bar with low ceilings and peanut shells scattered on the ground. To her surprise, the cool and relaxing atmosphere of _The Lantern _was far from what her overactive imagination envisioned.

It wasn't at all as scanty as Tommy made it out to be. The crowd was decent; not at maximum capacity, but enough to fill most of the tables and barstools. The walls were made of a dark mahogany and the rustic ceiling lamps gave the dimly lit room a subtle vibrancy. Jude generally enjoyed going to a bar, watching the clusters of friends smiling and laughing at each other. Even if it was a liquor-induced happiness, Jude still found it all extremely infectious. Her eyes continued to scan the room and stopped when they came upon the small stage in the corner. Though it wasn't anything like the arena stage in her overplayed fantasy, Jude could still picture herself performing for the modest-sized bar crowd and felt a twinge of excitement gush into her abdomen.

She didn't tell Tommy whether or not she was going to sing tonight. Come to think of it, he never really asked. She decided not to push it unless he did.

The pair made their way across the room, as Tommy found an open table in the back corner. It had a perfect view of the stage, but was far enough away from the bulk of the crowd to strike up a conversation and not have to scream over each other. As Tommy helped Jude in her seat—another small gesture highly approved by the 'gentleman's handbook'—a slender, black-haired woman in a blue, button-up top came to the table and asked for drink orders.

Tommy looked over at Jude. "The lady would like a…"

"Tom Collins, please," finished Jude.

"And for you, sir?" The woman subtly eyed Tommy up and down.

"What's good on tap tonight?"

"Well," the woman smiled, "it is my professional duty to say that 'everything' is good, but if I were you, I'd go with the Goose Island Harvest Ale."

"Then I guess I'll have a Goose Island."

"Alright. I'll be right back with those." She winked at Tommy and swiveled on her heels to walk back over to the bartender, glancing back at their table twice. Tommy nodded to the woman as she left before bringing his attention full circle on Jude.

Jude continued to look from Tommy to the waitress, wondering if the suggestive sentiments were as blatant as she thought. Tommy seemed unfazed by all that had just happened. "So, answer me something. Is it normal for you to have waitresses paying _you_ tips when it's customarily the other way around?"

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Ha ha. Very funny. For all you know, she could recognize me. Canadian pop stars aren't just popular in Canada." Jude chose not to dignify his excuse with a response. "Besides, that isn't nearly as important as your drink order. Come on, a Tom Collins? I mean, it's not necessary to drop hints like that. If you've got a thing for me, then just come out with it."

Tommy's curt remark set Jude back a pace, but she wasn't going down without a fight. In fact, it was the fight that made her tête-à-têtes with Tommy all the more worth while. It was like a game of cat and mouse for the pair, both antagonizing the other for their own personal gain. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that ordering a drink with the name 'Tom' in it, meant that I have a separate closet devoted to all of my Tommy Q memorabilia."

Tommy looked unsurprisingly intrigued. "Ah. How metaphorical; considering you are a closet Boys Attack! fanatic. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, you know."

With poise, Jude grinned like a bobcat. "Yeah, why don't I just show you my high school diary where I have Mrs. Jude Quincy written all over the first three pages."

Tommy eyed Jude skeptically. "Okay, this seems way too thought out to be fictional now."

"That's because I had the intense pleasure of witnessing that ridiculous obsession first hand…with my sister."

"Oh. I think I get it now. It makes sense why you hated me so much in the beginning." Jude rolled her eyes, not wanting to fully agree with the truth in his statement, because she didn't want to hurt his feelings. Dealing with her sister all those years _was_ the main reason why Jude initially didn't want her husband to have anything to do with the man sitting next to her. When Jamie first mentioned the name Tom Quincy, the only image that popped in Jude's head was of her sister, Sadie, having a seizure and swatting an entire bowl of popcorn into Jude's lap when a Pepsi commercial came on that featured little Tommy Q. She had it _that_ bad for the boy bander.

They didn't continue the conversation as Tommy spotted his friend by the side of the stage and waved him over. The man approaching was tall and handsome; he looked about the same age as Tommy too. Tommy stood up to greet him. "What's up, man?"

"Hey, Tom. Glad you could stop by. How's that new business of yours going?"

Tommy scratched his head. "It's going alright. Taking a bit longer than we planned but the contractors are almost finished refurbishing the building, so…in the near future it'll be up and running."

"That's real cool, T. You've done well for yourself." Kwest finally noticed the cute blonde sitting at the table. "So, I see you're dating again."

Tommy looked back at Jude, a slight hint of remorse in his facial features. "No, actually this is Jude Harrison. My partner for the label, Jamie? Yeah, this is his wife. Jude, this is Kwest."

Kwest reached his hand out to shake Jude's. "Whoa. My bad."

Jude smiled reassuringly. "It's okay. Honest mistake. So, Tommy tells me you want to be a sound engineer." The waitress returned with their drinks.

"Yeah." Kwest took a seat at their table, and Tommy sat back down as well after thanking the woman, who again smiled like a fool at Tommy. "I've been doing this tech work for bars for almost four years now, and it's slowly wearing me down. I need a challenge, you know. Something where I can let my creativity play a hand in the business aspect of my life."

Jude sipped on her drink. "Well, since my husband's doing all the hiring—because Tommy's a punk who doesn't like to do the dirty work—I'll make sure to put a good word in for you." She winked at Kwest. Jude was intentionally provoking Tommy, yet again, but she wasn't going to admit that it was because of the annoying waitress and her incessant flirting.

Tommy shook his head while nursing his beer. "Thanks for bad mouthing me in front of my friend. Is there anything else you want to tell him that can further my humiliation?"

Jude thought for a moment, staring off into space. "Well, there was that one time in Arizona where you and…"

Tommy almost choked on his beer when the word Arizona was mention. "Jude Harrison, if you breathe another word of that instance I'll make you walk back to Chicago."

Jude grinned smugly at Tommy. "I think that's what cabs are for, my dear." Tommy looked terrified. "Relax, Piglet. I told you I was taking your secret to the grave. If there's one thing I'm good for, it's keeping my promises." Tommy's tension vanished and he leaned back in his chair, instinctively resting his arm against the back of Jude's chair.

All the while, Kwest was sniggering at the other side of the table. The pair stopped and looked at Kwest quizzically. "Wow. T-man, that was priceless. You should've seen the look on your face. She totally had you in her clutches."

"She did not."

Jude sat up and smiled confidently while taking a larger swig of her drink. The glass was almost empty, save the ice, so she commanded Tommy to do her bidding. "Tom, do be a darling and fetch me another drink. Long Island Iced Tea this time."

Tommy looked around confused. "Since when did I become your personal slave?"

Jude shook her finger in Tommy's face. "Now, Tom dear, I do believe we had this conversation already. Go to," she ordered, waving him off like a dog.

Tommy knew Jude had a knack for yanking his chain. She was trying to get a rise out of him, and she was being especially clever by doing it in front of someone he respected, but he wasn't going down this early in the game. "Okay, I'll tell you what, I'll go get your drink if you go up there and grace us all with a song." Tommy pointed to the stage directly ahead.

Kwest and Tommy were both looking at Jude, wondering what her decision would be. She contemplated the idea for only a few brief moments. "Well, I'm not a personal fan of ultimatums, but I'll do it on the condition that I don't have to sing one of my songs."

"You can pick whatever you want." Jude nodded in response, causing Kwest to jump out of his chair.

"Great! I'll go sign her up." With that, he was gone.

Once Kwest had left, Jude and Tommy found themselves in a deadly stare down. Their eyes were locked, and not in the normal way that tended to make Jude's breath catch or Tommy's mouth dry. The civil war they started was starting to consume them, both desperate in their pursuits to win. They were simply staring at each other to try and find the other's weakness, to dare them to give up and raise the white flag. Jude was the first to break the silence. "Aren't you supposed to be going somewhere?" She raised her eyes toward the bar.

Tommy shook his head satisfactorily. "Not until you sing. Once you're done, you'll find a nice, cold Long Island waiting for you on the table." They continued their intense staring, challenging each other secretly.

It wasn't long before Jude was called to the stage. Kwest was backstage waiting for her, with an acoustic guitar in his hands because he knew she came empty handed. She tuned it before walking out onto the small platform.

The crowd looked a bit larger than it was when they first got there. Half the people sitting down were either drunk or on a mission toward becoming completely sloshed. The rest of the audience could be seen making light chit-chat, not really caring what was going to happen on the small stage in front of them.

A spotlight shone right where the microphone was, making it difficult for Jude to spot Tommy out in the crowd, as he was sitting in the way back. She wasn't exactly sure why she was looking for him, because if she did see him, he'd probably have that sexy and irritating half smirk on his face again. That would only make her nervous, and she didn't need that.

Jude considered her Tommy search to be a lost cause, strapped on the guitar and began strumming, trying to play over the conversations of the loud drunks and large parties. The song Jude chose had a long music interlude, and at first, her efforts didn't gain much notice. But as more people began listening to the beautiful and familiar song, it got quieter; and before Jude knew it, the majority of the bar was in a trance as a somber hush fell on the crowd. Even the shabby looking old man who was inebriated beyond belief and making cat calls at Jude, was quieted by the bartender so everyone could hear Jude perform. The general silence helped her find her focus as she began singing.

_So, so you think you can tell  
Heaven from hell  
Blue skies from pain  
Can you tell a green field  
From a cold steel rail?  
Smile from a veil?  
Do you think you can tell?  
_

_  
Did they get you to trade?  
Your heroes for ghosts  
Hot ashes for trees  
Hot air for a cool breeze  
Cold comfort for change  
And did you exchange?  
A walk on part in the war  
For a lead role in the cage  
_

_  
How I wish, how I wish you were here  
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl  
Year after year  
Running over the same old ground  
What have we found?  
The same old fears  
Wish you were here_

By the time Jude reached the well-known chorus of the song, almost everyone started singing along. The lighters and cell phones were flipped open and swaying in the air. There was no other sound quite like a room full of singing drunks. As Jude hit the last chord, the bar found themselves in an uproar. People jumped out of their seats and stood on bar stools to show their enthusiasm as they applauded the beautiful blonde on the stage. Jude curtsied like a girl playing dress-up before running off stage to hand Kwest the guitar.

He stood there in shock. "Wow! Tommy didn't mention that you had pipes to go along with that sassy attitude."

Jude smiled weakly while ducking her head. "Thanks."

On her way back to the table, people gave Jude high fives and whistled with enthusiasm. She wasn't going to deny that she liked the attention, but what she liked more was that it brought everyone in the bar together. The atmosphere had everyone in higher spirits than they were ten minutes ago.

She expected to see Tommy gloating when she reached the table, but all she saw was her Long Island iced tea and a look from Tommy Q that would make any woman under 50 weak in the knees.

She tried to ignore his captivating gaze. "What? No victorious bow?"

One of his eyebrows raised in curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"You won. You got me to sing. Congratulations. Unfortunately, I left all my solid gold trophies at home so you'll have to wait to receive yours later."

Tommy stared at Jude in disbelief. "Jude, this wasn't really a contest. I know I kind of made it seem that way, but I just wanted you to sing because everyone else deserves to hear what I've already heard. And from the way the crowd was acting, I'd say you won that one. Actually, you won the whole bar over."

"Don't make me blush, Quincy." She kept her eyes glued to her feet.

"Come here and sit down. Celebrate your five minutes of fame by enjoying your victory drink."

Jude shrugged her shoulders. "Well, there's no better way to calm my nerves than to get horribly smashed." With that, she joined Tommy at the table.

They spent the next 45 minutes drinking, listening to other artists on stage, and just enjoying each other's company. By the end of the night, Jude was slightly tipsier than she wanted to be, so Tommy decided that it would be best to take her home now. They said their goodbyes to Kwest—Tommy being forced to pry Jude off of Kwest as she gave him a bear hug—before leaving the bar and heading back to Chicago.

Tommy had put the top up on his Viper before they left, having noticed the slight chill in the air. On the road home, Jude's intoxication was blatant as she sang along animatedly to every song on the radio. If it was a good song, Tommy didn't have a problem with joining in too.

Jude flailed her arms about in excitement. "Oh my gosh! I love this song!" She was dancing in her seat as she began to mimic the song. "Can you feel it, see it, hear it today? If you can't, then it doesn't matter anyway. You will never understand it cuz it happens too fast. And it feels so good, it's like walking on glass."

Tommy interrupted her. "How is it that you know the words to this song, let alone all the songs they've played since we got in the car?"

Jude acted like an annoyed Valley Girl toward Tommy. "Um…hello? Q101 is paying homage to the music of the 90s all week, duh. The 90s is like my era!"

"Well, the 90s is my era too, but I never found the time to memorize all the lyrics to 'Epic'. At best, I know the chorus."

The chorus of the song was coming up and Jude knew it. "Then sing it with me." She slowly turned up the music.

As ridiculous as Jude was acting, her enthusiasm was infectious and he quickly found himself singing along with her, practically shouting the lyrics.

"You want it all but you can't have it! It's in your face but you can't grab it!"

Shortly, Jude began winding down, her energy level sinking as she stared out the window at all the menacing and grim trees protruding from the side of the road. There was a long silence, other than the soft sounds of the radio playing in the background. Tommy had turned it down when she gave up her karaoke stint.

"Ugh. These heels are killing me." Jude lifted her feet up to rest them on the dashboard as she unbuckled her shoes. Her dress had slowly slid up her thigh during the process, unnoticed by Jude. Tommy noticed though. He couldn't look away, making it very difficult for him to concentrate on the road.

After clumsily removing her high heels and putting them underneath her seat, Jude began talking before thinking her words through. Drinking had the tendency of making Jude impulsive. "Tommy, why don't you have a girlfriend?"

"I don't know. Not interested at the moment, I guess. Why do you ask?"

"I just remember Kwest saying 'I see you're dating again' as if you hadn't in a while, and I thought there might be a particular reason. Plus there was the flirty waitress that you totally disregarded."

Tommy tried to avoid this conversation with everyone. It wasn't something he liked to bring up. He clenched the wheel tightly while staring at the empty road ahead. "I, uh…well, there _used_ to be someone." There was a dazed look on his face. He brought a hand to his face to message his temple. "But that's in the past."

The somber mood in the car was bringing Jude down yet she continued to pry. "So this 'someone' made it impossible for you to love again?"

Tommy did a half-smile. "I wouldn't say impossible, but difficult. Very difficult." Tommy thought better about saying what he was going to say next, but then decided to screw his convictions. "You know, for a moment I thought I found it again…not that it really matters."

Jude looked at Tommy in confusion. "Why wouldn't it matter?"

_Don't say it Tommy. You're walking on dangerous ground already_. "Because she belongs to someone else." _Shit_.

His words felt like a wrecking ball being plunged into her stomach. She swiftly tore away her gaze to look out the window, not wanting to see the emotion in his face or let him see the fear in hers. The attraction was evident, Jude just never thought Tommy would speak of it—under the circumstances. But she didn't want Tommy to think his words fell on deaf ears, and she said the only thing that was floating in her head.

Her words were like a whisper, only loud enough for Tommy to hear. "No woman belongs to anyone." She thought she was being vague enough. She thought they could leave it at that and be on their merry way back to sweet home Chicago. But her plan didn't work.

Tommy took her meaning personally and burst like a balloon. He quickly swerved over to the side of the road and came to a complete stop on the loose gravel a couple of feet away from the highway. The street was empty; deserted even. All that surrounded them were tall trees that blocked their view of the stars against the night sky.

Panic enveloped Jude. She didn't know why they had stopped. More over, she didn't like where they had stopped. The place looked like the perfect setting for a horror movie.

Tommy's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I'm sorry, but I don't want…I just can't do this anymore!" He slammed his fist against the side of the while to work out his agitation.

Jude had an inkling about what Tommy was referring to, but she had to be sure, so she played the ignorance card. "Do what? Tommy, why'd we stop?"

He turned to look at Jude for the first time in the last short, tense minutes. His eyes bore into her soul as he confessed everything he felt about her with a single gaze. He looked scared and vulnerable, yet determined and full of compassion. "You know, Jude. You know."

It was as if a knot was stuck in Jude's throat. She couldn't breathe. Never had she wanted Tommy more than she did at this moment. How was she supposed to respond to that? How was she supposed to lie straight to his face when her feelings for him were stronger now than they had ever been? How could all of this have happened in the first place?

Jude erased the questions in her head and forced sensibility out the window. If Tommy could be impulsive, so could she. Impulse ignited a fire inside of her that craved everything her logic denied. Before Tommy could get in another word edgewise, Jude grabbed his face and pulled it flush against hers.

She had only kissed two people in her life before this moment. Kind of sad for a 24 year-old, but it didn't bother her much. Jamie was Jude's first boyfriend, and subsequent husband. Though his 'kissability' had improved somewhat over time, Jude still remembered how awkward their first kiss was. It was sloppy, and his lips were so thin the kiss was almost painful; but then again, Jamie's only prior practice involved kissing the back of his hand during _Casablanca_. And then there was David Hawkins. David was in Jude's communications class her sophomore year of college. Jude and Jamie had just gone through their first of many break-ups, and in order for Jamie to leave her alone, she began seeing David. He was a nice enough guy, but their relationship was made fairly brief due to the fact that his kissing was…flawed. To be honest, he was a biter. Jude wasn't too keen on tasting iron in her mouth every time they kissed.

Now Jude had a new notch to make on her kissing post. But unlike the others, this one was perfection wrapped in a silver bow. Once Tommy realized what Jude was doing, he immediately responded. He aggressively attacked Jude's lips like a leech, sucking on every bit of flesh he could. The bruising force of Tommy's mouth on hers clouded her judgment and weakened her defenses. She didn't care about anything else that night except satisfying the primal need inside of her; the need to give in to her one desire. Tommy.

The kissing became more fervent as their hands began to roam each other's bodies. Jude needed him now, the space between them quickly proving to be a hindrance. "Move your seat back." Jude was surprised she could even form a coherent sentence at this moment, acting only on her determination to somehow be closer to Tommy.

He did as he was told without another thought, and in response, Jude climbed over the gear shift and settled herself on his lap, fearlessly straddling his waist to close the gap between them. As much as Tommy was enjoying Jude's lust-induced proximity he had to think rationally, even if it was only for a second. "Jude, I don't want you to re…"

Two guitar-callused fingers lightly pressed against Tommy's already swollen lips. "Shhh." He obeyed and stared into her dark, hunger-filled eyes. "Don't speak. Not now." She leaned in to replace her fingers with her lips. The kiss was softer now, but expressed the same amount of want. His hands immediately found their way up her thighs and around to her lacy thong that was hidden underneath her dress. Jude loved the feel of his touch, unconsciously leaning her head back in response. This gave Tommy better access to her neck, as he began sucking on the hot, sensitive skin there.

Now was not the time to be endearing and savor each moment. They both sensed the urgency as Jude pressed up against Tommy harder. His arousal from her contact was apparent, a reminder to Jude that she needn't waste any more time. She hastily unclasped the top of Tommy's jeans and pulled the zipper down, letting her fingers subtly graze against his covered member.

Tommy forced one of his hands to abandon its pursuit on her ass, as it slid back toward her center and rubbed against her gently. Jude closed her eyes while Tommy teased her incessantly. It felt good, but it wasn't enough to satisfy Jude, as her eyes fluttered back open to continue the job she started. She kissed him hard on the lips again and, without thinking, unsheathed Tommy from his boxers, gripping firmly and possessively. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and a low growl escaped his lips, which Jude could feel vibrating on her own. Her breathing became shallow at the shear anticipation of Tommy finally being a part of her.

As Jude slightly raised her hips to position herself above him, Tommy pulled her thong aside with the hand that, mere seconds ago, tormented her loins. Tommy didn't have time to react before Jude slid herself onto him ambitiously. He felt good. Oh god, who was she kidding…he felt amazing. Waves of pleasure began to course through both of their bodies as Jude rode his length erratically. Tommy's tenuous hold on her hips guided her pursuits to create a steady, yet rapid pace.

Jude whimpered softly, causing Tommy to force her on him harder. The friction was becoming unbearable. Her walls began to convulse, and Tommy knew she was close; the feel of it spurring on his own hedonistic desire. Their bodies were moving so fervently now that there was no longer a rhyme or reason, other than the need to consume each other completely. Jude slowly leaned back against the steering wheel as she felt herself come undone. Her inner flesh clenched around him like a fist as she panted out his name, and that was all it took for Tommy to erupt within her.

They both sat with their heads back, afraid to look at each other. Tremors raged through their bodies as they tried to steady themselves; their ragged breathing slowing down in the stilled quiet.

Now that Jude had begun to think more clearly, coming down off of her high, she was frightened about what would happen next. What should she say? What will he do? This was obviously an unplanned moment in time, and neither of them seemed to be aware of how to handle the consequences.

The only thing Jude did know was that they couldn't stay in the position they were in. Without saying a word or glancing his way, Jude languidly slid off of Tommy and back into the passenger's seat. She straightened her dress unconsciously and stared out the window.

Tommy noticed her cold and unresponsive movements, not really blaming her for behaving so. He quickly fixed himself up before starting the car and heading back on the road toward Chicago.

It only took them another 15 minutes until they reached Jude's apartment, but it felt like an eternity. The silence was cruel and uninviting. They both were thinking the same things yet refused to breathe a word. Tommy knew it was a mistake. He had strong feelings for Jude, but was never the person to break up a marriage because of said feelings. He felt ashamed of himself for even speaking of their attraction to each other. Everything would have been fine if he had just kept his mouth shut.

And now she was distant. Now Tommy dreaded Jude wouldn't be able to pick herself up and put this incident aside. He would be content with just her friendship, but feared that any hope of that wish coming true had already vanished.

Tommy pulled into the parking lot behind the building right next to the back entrance. He supposed now was the best time to grovel, to admit to her that it was okay to pretend it never happened. Then, maybe, life could go back to the way it used to be.

Jude opened the door and mumbled a short 'bye' before swiftly exiting his car and running into her apartment complex.

That was how it ended. Jude's famous last words turned into a curt departure that left Tommy empty and troubled. It was clear now that her actions were a sign that she wanted nothing to do with him. Their forbidden moment together had deeply affected her, and he would give her the space that she needed to recover and reflect.

**The song they sing in the car, in case you didn't know, is "Epic" by Faith No More (the only pop-ish song they really ever made), and the one Jude sings is "Wish You Were Here" by Pink flipping Floyd. If you can't tell yet, I am obsessed with music, especially 90's music and classic rock. I'll try to incorporate more of that throughout the story. Toodles for now!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm taking forever to write these, I know. I blame two things: school (last semester, yay!!) and my obsession with editing. I write each chapter usually in a day, but I edit the shit out of it when I see things days later that I don't like. I'll try to be quicker from now on. Toodles.**

Chapter 4

**She** was anxious. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered wildly, unceasing, for the last half hour because he would be here soon. It was the Wednesday after their intimate, yet entirely cumbersome, encounter; and just like all the other Wednesdays, Tommy would be making his way to Jamie and Jude's apartment for their weekly budget meeting.

The last three and a half days had been torturous for Jude. When she slept, she dreamt of nothing else. When she was awake, her attempts at mindless distractions failed her, finding connections to Tommy in anything and everything. _Mr. Deeds Goes to Town_ was on TCM a few days ago, but Jude couldn't watch it because she remembered Tommy telling her that Jean Arthur was his favorite actress. She couldn't even stimulate her senses with coffee because she previously ran into him at the nearby coffee shop. These connections eventually spun out of control, to the point where simply seeing the color blue reminded her of his eyes.

That was it. Her emotions had finally crossed the line. It was as if her mind was betraying her and there was no way to escape from the life and times of Tom Quincy. The only way to stop thinking about him, and to stop Jamie's questions about her unusual and distant behavior, was to talk to Tommy—face-to-face—and clear up any misunderstandings once and for all. She knew this could be handled rationally and calmly. After all, they had been good friends before, and she was sure they could go back to that and forget about the whole _adultery_ thing. Ugh. What a menacing word.

Therefore, Jude saw today's meeting as the perfect opportunity to talk to him. He would be here, at her apartment, so she wouldn't have to secretly meet him some place. Plus, Jude just really wanted to get this conversation over with; a quick and painless execution for her misery and guilt. The most important obstacle, however, was how to get Tommy away from Jamie, and she had a pretty good idea. As a precaution, she even came up with a few back up plans, one of which involving her neighbor Sherry who would 'incidentally' stop by because she needed Jamie's help putting up new curtains. She didn't want to inconvenience someone else with her marital conflict, but if there was anyone she could trust with a secret, she knew it was Sherry Goodman. The spunky divorcee one floor below was very intuitive toward people's feelings, so when the two women crossed paths yesterday afternoon, Jude found herself unexpectedly pouring her heart out to the older woman over tea.

She knew what she was going to say to him, but was afraid of what he would say in return. He could get angry with her and never want to see her again…which was NOT what she wanted. He could be understanding and have them part ways as friends. He could, Lord help him, try and seduce her again with his piercing, pale blue eyes, which we all know would not end smoothly. Jude practiced responses to all these scenarios, and even though she felt confident in her words, she didn't have confidence in herself. A nagging feeling in the back of her head warned her that her carefully executed speech could be instantly wiped from her brain the second he walked through that door. She could envision it now: her body tensing up, eyes clouded over in a daze, and her mouth finally bearing the courage to mutter a quick 'hello' before bolting back into the bedroom.

_No. That won't happen. It can't happen._

She glanced at the clock. It was 2:54p.m. Time made the walls slowly close in around her. She shook her head of the neurotic thoughts that floated about, and went toward the mirror in her bedroom to straighten out her appearance. She made a last minute decision to put up her hair in a messy ponytail after spending the previous ten minutes continuously putting it up and taking it back down, wondering if the insignificant matter would ever be resolved.

No more time to fret over looks. It was time to face her fears. The first part of her plan was to casually go into the living room and pretend to organize her album collection—'pretending' was the main objective here considering, on a normal day, Jude would never allow a single album to be out of its alphabetized place.

When Jude left the bedroom, however, the first thing that caught her eye was Jamie, putting on his jacket and grabbing the car keys on the counter. Jude forgot to mask her worried confusion. "Where are you going? I thought you had a meeting with Tommy in a few minutes."

"I do," Jamie replied, before looking at his watch. "In fact, I'm running a little late. We're meeting at a coffee shop, instead, today."

Sadness became the unwavering force that pushed tightly against her abdomen. She instantly felt her face fall, but was able to pick it back up before Jamie could notice. "Oh," Jude beamed. "That's…that's cool." Her instinct was to tell Jamie to say hi to Tommy for her, but, under the circumstances, she thought it wisest to just keep her mouth shut. She also had a feeling Tommy was the instigator for the meeting location change…the surest way for him to avoid her.

Jamie kissed Jude on the cheek as she put on her best forced smile, before he left the apartment. Now alone, Jude let her despair take on its physical form, let the hurt she felt from Tommy's actions swallow her whole.

For the record, it did not feel good to be snubbed by Tommy Q. In fact, it felt downright shitty, as if the ice cold hand of sorrow came up and smacked her square in the jaw. She stood unflinching, and stayed in this gloomy state for a few more minutes, staring at the door in front of her and wondering why he didn't want to see her. There were things to be said, didn't he understand that?

Not wanting her emotions to gain complete control of herself, Jude eventually got over her moment of weakness, and occupied her alone time with the usual routine of fine-tuning her songs. If Tommy was going to forget about her, then she could easily do the same. She didn't need to waste her breath on Little Tommy Q anymore.

**He** couldn't stop thinking about her. His mind raced, haunted by images of her smile, the sound of her soft, sultry voice, and, above all, the feel of her tender lips on his. He busied himself with studio details, doing as much work as he could to get the place up and running, but it never managed to block out his thoughts of her.

Tommy was sitting at a table for two in a far corner of the coffee shop. He didn't even notice Jamie walk in until the tall and rather scrawny man sat down directly in front of him. Finally snapping out of his fantasy, Tommy gave a courteous nod as Jamie began pulling out his laptop.

"How's it going, Tom?"

"Same old, same old." Now, of course this wasn't really the case for Tommy, but polite chit chat was customary in these situations, and he wasn't going to give any cause for alarm. How else could he have responded to that question anyway? _Oh, I'm just kind of depressed right now because I had sex with your wife and now she doesn't want anything to do with me. Also, I think I'm in love with her._ What alternate universe would allow that kind of confession to be handled lightly?

Tommy, of all people, was ready to talk business; give him numbers, contract agreements, blueprints, anything to get his mind off of the current situation. "So, have you visited the office recently?" Tommy asked, feigning interest of course, but willing to say whatever he needed in order to stop thinking about a certain blonde bombshell. He had been absentmindedly playing with the plastic lid that covered his vanilla latte, and eventually decided to take it off to let the drink cool.

Jamie nodded. "Yeah, actually I was there two days ago. The contractor said they should be done with framing soon and then the other guys will come in to put down the tile and do wall-to-wall painting. I'm thinking we should be able to move in our stuff within a matter of weeks."

"That sounds great. I know Maggie and Joan are getting a little peeved about using their cell phones to talk with clients and investors. Plus, overall communication has been difficult, what with all the different meeting locales every day. It'll be good to have a conference room to take care of all the hum-drum business stuff."

"While we're on the topic, why did we come here instead of my apartment?" Jamie asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him. "I'm not complaining or anything, but the apartment thing seemed to have worked out fine before."

Shit. Tommy was caught in a mousetrap.

Okay, so he may have set himself up for that one, but what was even more foolish was that he hadn't even come up with a good excuse yet. He had to think of a lie quickly, stalling for as long as he could by sipping on his hot drink. "Oh, well…I just thought we might want a change of scenery." Tommy looked up at Jamie and could tell he wasn't convinced, skepticism visibly etched on his face. "And, you know, gas prices are ridiculous these days, so meeting some place half way was easier for me in terms of the commute. You know how it is."

It was a stupid lie, to be sure—his apartment only a few miles south of here—but Tommy was still hoping against odds that Jamie's gullible and unwitting nature would shine through and accept his response as a logical excuse. "You're telling me. I'm already considering moving to a suburb on the principle of gas alone. They gauge you out of every penny in the city."

The panic bells ringing madly in Tommy's head finally receded. He placidly sat back in his chair and nodded in agreement. The hard part was over. Now he just needed to avoid any other discussion topics that could possibly link back to Jude…hmm, that might be a bit of a stretch.

"Anyway, the reason I asked was because Jude looked a little upset when I told her you weren't coming over," Jamie stated flatly. _Jude. _Tommy's stomach did back flips when he heard that name, almost spilling his latte on Jamie's laptop. _Shit. I'm starting to think this avoidance plan won't work out very well. _He made sure to keep a cool and composed face so he wouldn't seem too eager to hang on every word Jamie had to say about Jude. "I think she's really got a soft spot for you. You're one of the few friends she's made in Chicago."

_Friends…right. She'll pretend to be friends with me for Jamie's sake, but deep down I know she wants nothing to do with me. _"She just needs to get out there and meet new people; Jude's an easy person to like. Besides, all she does every day is either go to work or lounge around in the apartment. You should convince her to go out more."

"Yeah, maybe that is a smart idea. Watching the same episodes of _Full House _over and over again are the primary warning signs of reclusiveness." As Jamie considered the many intricacies of Jude's bizarre behavior, a thought came to him. "Oh! I almost forgot. I changed the name of the label."

Tommy smirked, knowing precisely where the influence came from. "You changed it, or Jude changed it?"

Jamie slumped in defeat and nodded. "Okay, so maybe Jude took the reigns on this one, but I don't mind because it gives her a small part in this whole project. She said something about the first one being too 'cheesy'."

Tommy laughed quietly to himself. He remembered her exact words the first time she heard the original name for their company. "So, what did she come up with, anyway?"

They managed to continue avoiding each other for more than three weeks. Fortunately, a lot had been accomplished during that time to keep them busy. The biggest of all was the setup of Jamie and Tommy's company. They hired a few more people, including Kwest, and the interior designers were almost done with the finishing touches on the building. They would move in all the equipment the following day, which meant their record label could be officially open for business in a matter of a few short days.

To celebrate their success, Jamie invited Tommy over for dinner, wanting to show his appreciation for Tommy's hard work and dedication toward their project. Tommy was hesitant at first, coming up with a multitude of lame excuses to avoid Jude further, but Jamie was persistent and said Jude loved cooking for company. Who was he to refuse?

Tommy knew this moment had to come eventually. Not only was she his business partner's wife, but she had already signed a contract with them, committing herself as their artist for two years. Even if he wouldn't have been Jude's producer, their paths were bound to cross at some point. Maybe by now she would have cooled off and they could go back to being friends, able to put the past as far behind them as possible.

He sat in his car for a few minutes outside of Jude and Jamie's apartment complex, already working himself up way too much. "Don't blow it, man. Just be cool. The main objective here is friendship. No sweat." Tommy was thankful no one was around; otherwise passersby may have found it slightly odd to see a man in a fancy viper talking to himself in the rearview mirror.

His hand idly fiddled with the buzzer on the brick wall before finally pushing it. A couple of seconds passed before someone answered. "Yeah?"

It was her. His dreams did not betray him, recollecting perfectly how her voice had sounded. "Uh…it's T-Tommy," he stammered out, smacking himself for not controlling his anxiety soon enough.

She didn't even reply back. He only heard the buzzer ring again, signaling that the door was unlocked so he could enter the building. Her response, or lack there of, worried Tommy. So maybe she was still angry with him, which meant that this could be an uneventful and awkward evening.

Once he made it to the door, he had to knock to be let in. This time, Jamie answered…and with a giant grin on his face. _If only I could _pretend_ to be that happy. _"Hey, Tom. Glad you could make it," Jamie said as he extended his hand for Tommy to shake.

"Well, no normal person turns down a decent meal, right? Especially when your routine diet consists of Jimmy John's and Chipotle." Anyone who knew Tommy well enough was quite aware that his cooking skills were less than perfect. To be blunt, he hated to cook and knew there was no sense in trying (other than the occasional frozen, already prepared meal). This meant that ordering take-out and stopping at drive-thrus were two of his not-so-favorite, yet customary, pastimes.

Jamie laughed, which, to Tommy, sounded a bit artificial, but he ignored it for the most part. "So, can I get you a beer? We've got Leinenkugel, as usual." Jamie was very particular with his beer and only found one brand that he really liked.

"Yeah, I'll take one," Tommy answered, muttering "or two" under his breath so Jamie couldn't hear.

They both walked further into the living room just as Jude came out of the kitchen with a spoon in hand and an apron around her waist. "Jay, can you come here and try this; I think it may need more salt. Oh, hi, Tom."

God he missed her. His memories obviously didn't do her justice, because she looked more radiant than ever. Her black boots accentuated the slender legs that hid underneath her fitted jeans, and the blue blouse she was wearing managed to make her blonde hair look brighter and full of life. The apron was just an added bonus to her more than worthy appearance. "It's good to see you, Jude."

She tried her hardest not to react to the sound of her name against his lips. It sounded beautiful and she wanted him to say it over and over again, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Instead, she had to pretend that he didn't look perfect in his grey pull-over. Only he could make a casual sweater look so freaking sexy. She averted her eyes and focused back on Jamie, hoping the slight blush she felt creeping in her cheeks wasn't visible yet.

Jamie was already testing the sauce from the ladle before she had time to erase thoughts of Tommy from her head, his voice slightly taking her by surprise. "Hmm, maybe put some of that garlic salt in it, for a little more flavor too." Jude quickly made her way back to the kitchen instead of replying to his recommendation. She needed to get out of there. Fast.

Tommy could see the edge in her glances. It gave away her trepidation toward him, and his worries were confirmed that tonight would definitely be a 'long' night.

------

They actually made it to dessert, Tommy equal parts shocked and elated that the majority of the night had gone off without a hitch. It wasn't like he was expecting Jude to have an outrageous temper tantrum, but possibly something along the lines of her making up excuses to coerce him to leave early.

Jude still had trouble looking at him though, only doing so when conversation compelled her to be a polite hostess. He wondered, sadly, why this had to be so difficult. Why couldn't they lock it away in a vault and never think of it again? If not the affection, he missed just being able to talk to her. They both knew each other so well and it was a wonderful feeling to have someone to be so in sync with.

Tommy and Jamie started talking as Jude went to get the desert from the kitchen.

"So, I'm having a few people over next Sunday for the infamous Bears vs. Packers game," Tommy announced. "You guys are more than welcome to come."

Jamie looked at Tommy suspiciously. "This wouldn't have anything to do with that 52 in. hi-def, flat-screen TV you just bought, is it?"

Tommy didn't miss a beat. "Unquestionably. I like showing off my new toys."

"Either way, I'm sold," Jamie said as he shrugged his shoulders. "That TV is pretty sweet. Plus, I'll take any opportunity I can get to watch Bears' fans cry over yet another defeat." Tommy knew Jamie was not a Bears fan, and it didn't really bother him. Honestly, it was much more fun to argue with someone over a team, than agree with them. It was like a Cubs fan being good friends with a Sox fan, which was a lot more common than people think.

Jude walked out of the kitchen and set plates of apple crisp in front of everyone as Tommy began his argument. "What makes you think we're gonna lose this time? I mean, yeah, their past rivalry has shown Green Bay's dominance, but the Bears have had a pretty good season thus far. As long as they don't put in Grossman again, we should keep up just fine."

"Look, the bottom-line is that Mike McCarthy is a superior coach over Lovie Smith any day of the year. Period." Jamie was so enthusiastic about his claim that he used his hands for emphasis, waving them about dramatically.

Jude chimed in as she took her seat at the table. "Yeah, but the Bears are tied with the Vikings to lead the division with five wins. I know the Packers are right on their tails, but if Matt Forte stays hot and rushes more yards for us, it should be a pretty interesting game."

Both men gaped at the blonde who was sipping her water calmly. After seeing their mystified looks, she couldn't ignore the quiet tension. "What?"

"Did you just say 'rush'?" her husband asked, clearly confused by Jude's personality transformation.

"What? Did I use it wrong or something?"

Tommy put his own two cents in. "Actually, I think he means the opposite. You see, we were kind of under the impression that you…"

"Hated football," interjected the other man. "I know you like baseball, Hun, but I always thought football was very low on your list considering you grabbed the remote from me almost every time I tried to watch an NFL game. I mean, how the hell do you know who Matt Forte is?"

By the way he gradually elevated his voice, Jamie was almost coming off as angry, and Jude could guess why. The pair had known each other more years than she could count on her fingers, and for the majority of those years she did hate football. It was quite clear to other people too, practically throwing fits whenever the word 'touchdown' was mentioned. She always thought people seemed ridiculous for obsessing over a stupid pigskin.

And then, about a month ago, her life sort of changed. Football had become her one safe haven, the very thing that kept her mind busy and didn't remind her of Tommy. After watching ESPN every day for a week, she eventually became fanatical about football, listening to games on her radio headset whenever she went out for a walk.

She could tell that Jamie silently feared not even knowing his own wife anymore. His new business had kept him extremely busy for the past couple of months, and he wasn't spending as much time with her as he used to. He didn't want to become that guy. You know, the distant, workaholic type.

Jude had to find a way to quiet her husband's reservations. "Okay, I admit to not liking football before. But I've been kind of bored lately, and there was not much else on TV. It just happened all of a sudden. And that's the only 'out of the ordinary' thing that's happened as of late." She tried not to, but couldn't avoid glancing quickly in Tommy's direction, who easily met her brief gaze.

Jamie stared at Jude sympathetically, concern and remorse in his eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't be," Jude responded nonchalantly. "You're job is really important right now, especially since that job will eventually get me into the studios so I won't have to be bored anymore." Looking at her husband, she could tell he was still a little upset with himself. "Okay, how about you make it up to me by taking me to a Bears game before the season's over. It's the most I could ask from you."

There was a long pause. "Yeah, I suppose." It was a sacrifice on his part, considering he detested the Chicago team, and after that truce, the conversation wasn't spoken of for the rest of the night and they began silently eating their desert.

Tommy was the one to eventually change the subject, remembering something that he wanted to mention earlier. "So…Jamie told me about the company name change, Jude." He noticed the smallest flicker of intrigue dart across her face, though she kept her head down and played with her apple crisp like a curious child. "Eclectic Generation…" He said it slowly, letting the words roll off of his tongue like he was trying to find new meaning in them.

That same intrigue reappeared. He knew he could catch her attention by pausing; the shear anticipation of what he thought of the name was probably eating away at her. Jude finally caved, not even caring if that was his intent from the beginning. "And?" She still refused to look up.

"And…well, I don't know. To be honest, Progressive Records kind of had a nice ring to it."

Jude's eyes instantly widened, ready to pop out of their sockets, before she met Tommy's gaze with a scowl. "A nice ring to it? Are you kidding me? Ugh!"

"Jude Hun, maybe you should just calm down," Jamie interjected, wanting to quiet her ranting before she embarrassed him in front of his friend. It was enough that they'd already had a personal, and slightly emotional, conversation while he was sitting right at the table. Now thinking about it, Jamie wished he chose to bring up the football debacle at a later time.

She ignored her husband's attempts. "That just doesn't…because who thinks that…I mean, no musician in their right mind would see the words 'Progressive Records' and think 'Ooh! Sign me up!'" If Jude were a cartoon character, smoke would be shooting out of her ears and her face would be a bright shade of red. It wasn't the fact that Tommy liked the old name better. It was just the principle of it all. Conforming to record label names that had that stereotypical importance reminded her of the old Tommy Q; the one that paraded around in white dress pants like a mindless puppet to please the masses. She was afraid that Tommy had come back.

It wasn't, however, until after her mini-tirade that Jude realized Tommy's lips had curved up into a reproachful grin, almost sly-like. "Oh my god, you're messing with me, aren't you?"

Tommy's smile grew wider. "Of course I am. You knew I'd love the new name, so why would you doubt my intentions?"

Jude pouted as she folded her arms across her chest. "I don't know. I mean, I wasn't entirely sure how you'd feel about it." Everyone at the table was silent until Jude voiced her concern. "So, does that mean you think the name fits?" Her eyes spoke volumes as to how serious her question was.

"Absolutely," Tommy replied, sincerely. He found her insecurity captivating. Her fleeting eyes and closed off body language made him willing to do or say anything to silence her fears. In this particular situation, the only thing he needed to do to comfort her was to say the truth. "It really fits the company; incorporating old with the new. Don't think I didn't notice the subtlety in your Who reference." He paused, staring deep into her eyes, but without giving himself away to her husband—who was seated to the left, wordlessly munching on the tart dessert. "I also happen to think it fits you perfectly."

There was no hiding her jubilation now. Jude let a very endearing and warm smile creep onto her face as she took in Tommy's words. "Thanks, Tommy. That means a lot."

Tommy wished he could freeze this moment in time forever. It was the first time Jude looked happy, truly happy, since…well, since that fateful night almost a month ago. Jude always looked breathtaking when her smile had the power to make her skin glow. Tommy couldn't describe this picture in front of him as anything but perfect. Therefore, to be certain that his actions could not ruin the all too perfect moment, he felt this was his exiting cue.

"Well, thank you, Jude, for the lovely meal, but I should probably hit the sack early considering our exhausting day tomorrow." Tommy glanced at Jamie, who nodded in agreement.

"It was my pleasure. You know you're welcome over here anytime." That was it. The magic words he had been waiting for, to symbolize their reconciliation as friends. They both could feel the tension between them miraculously disintegrate.

Jamie stood and walked Tommy to the door. "So, Joan said she can bring her sons to help tomorrow morning. That way we can devote more time to testing out the equipment at the end of the day."

"Yeah, if it's not an inconvenience, I'd love a couple extra sets of hands." Tommy opened the door to leave.

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow at 8, then."

"Sounds good." Tommy stole a glance back at the table to say goodbye to Jude, but she wasn't there anymore. He felt like frowning, but resisted the temptation.

It was then he heard a small voice come from the kitchen. "Bye, Tommy. Don't be a stranger."

He smiled. "Later, Harrison." As he left, Tommy couldn't stop thinking about how the night had ended. They had made progress and it would only be a matter of time until Jude could feel comfortable enough to be his friend again. He had every reason to hope. Granted, he also couldn't stop thinking about her exposed neck and the curve of her lips, but he was not going to press his luck now. Not when things could go really well for the two of them.

Jude sighed when she heard the door close shut from the kitchen. A million thoughts were sprinting through her head, and she couldn't settle them down enough to even begin to process them. After staring at the sink for 30 seconds, holding an unwashed pot, Jude finally made up her mind. She placed the cookware in the sink, not caring if soap bubbles splashed out and onto the floor, and walked into the living room to devise her plan. Jamie had his back to Jude as he sat at his desk, occupying himself with more work.

Her final solution was lame, to be sure, but she went with it, hoping Jamie's gullible disposition was on her side. "Oh no, Tom left his phone here." She clutched her own cell phone tight in her hand as a prop. "I better go get this to him. I'll be right back."

Jamie barely gave Jude a 'mhm' as he focused on the papers in front of him. She casually walked out of the apartment, only to sprint across the hall the second Jamie was out of sight. Quickly soaring down the stairs, she almost considered sliding down the railing in hopes of catching Tommy in time. Almost.

She was lucky. He had just passed through the main doors of the apartment complex when Jude saw his retreating form. When she finally reached the doors and burst through one of them, she shouted to get his attention. "Tommy, wait!"

Hearing his name, only one person came to mind. Tommy turned to find the owner of the angelic voice quickly approach him. "Hey, did I forget something?"

She stopped suddenly in front of him, looking nervous and unsure of herself. "No," she began. "I mean, yeah…well, maybe." Jude put her head in her hands as Tommy stood silently, waiting for her to clarify the jumble of words that tried to come off as a reply. She shook her head. "This is so stupid. And childish. Yeah, that's a good word for it. I mean, ugh, I told him I was coming out her to give you you're phone, even though you clearly have it in your hands right now, and I never lie to him, but I did, which makes me a horrible person, and…"

Tommy put a hand on Jude's shoulder to calm her nerves and incessant mumbling. "Jude, relax. Unfortunately, people lie all the time, and what you said wasn't even that big of a deal. Believe me, it could be worse." He removed his hand, thinking it might make her uncomfortable, and started to feel a little anxious himself. "I'm guessing you came out here 'cause we need to…talk." Tommy had been patiently waiting for this talk, but wasn't sure he wanted it to happen today, considering they had made so much progress already. He didn't want his big mouth to ruin it.

Jude nodded her head slowly and looked around at anything but him. "Yeah," she answered awkwardly. Her eyes accidentally drifted toward his lips, and she couldn't help but notice how they quivered with the same anticipation she was feeling. "Because we…well, we obviously need to discuss…and then there's…goddamnit!"

Without warning or thought guiding her actions, Jude stepped closer to Tommy, placing both hands on either side of his face before letting her lips take control of the conversation. She never forgot how good his lips felt on hers; this kiss was just a reiteration of that memory.

Tommy was hesitant at first, completely bewildered by her actions. But he quickly gave in, unable to resist taking advantage of her sweet-tasting flesh if she was giving it so willingly.

She could've kept going—kissing him was starting to feel as necessary as oxygen—but forced herself to stop, as it was not her real intention for coming out here. She turned their bodies around and forcefully pushed him against the brick wall of the building. Jude was throwing surprises left and right at Tommy, and he didn't know how to react to them anymore.

All her emotions came out in a torment of words. "Why have you been ignoring me? You wouldn't call and refused to come over. I was beginning to think you'd be able to find ways to avoid me for the next three years!" The volume of her voice rose with each tortured exclamation.

"I-I thought you wanted space," Tommy unsuccessfully stammered out. "It was obvious that what happened between us made you uncomfortable and angry. I didn't want you to think of me as your burden and be constantly reminded of it."

_That_, Jude was _not_ expecting. If anything, she thought he would be mad at her, not the other way around. "I…" Her eyes softened as she thought of what to say next, wanting to speak in a more gentle tone to him. "I was angry with myself, not you. Never you. I didn't know what to make of the situation and I needed time to think about it all…but I didn't need you to abandon me when you were the one person I needed the most."

Tommy stared into her eyes lovingly, bringing his hand up to brush the few strands of hair out of her face. "You need me?"

It was obvious that her cheeks were flushing, so she looked down. She wasn't planning on revealing that much information and it made her feel vulnerable. "Well…uh…now's not really the best time to talk about that." Her eyes shifted toward the building behind them.

He leaned down to brush his lips against hers. It was tender this time; soft, but still so intoxicating that her body began to tremble. When Tommy moved away from Jude he noticed that her eyes were still closed and her lips were prepared for another kiss. He smiled, knowing he ignited that unwavering response in her, and cupped her delicate, porcelain cheek. "I want to see you again."

Jude's eyes reopened and stared into Tommy's desire-filled ones. "Well, there is still more that needs to be said. I mean, we haven't fully addressed the situation and decided what we're going to do about it." Tommy nodded, but Jude could tell by his look that he was only half paying attention. "I'll wait till Jamie's asleep and then swing by your place. But remember, this is just to talk."

"What are you going to say to Jamie when he finds out you're gone?"

She was unconcerned by his question. "That won't be a problem. Someone could launch a missile next door and he wouldn't know about it until he saw the damage the next morning. That boy can sleep through anything." Jude laughed for a second before catching Tommy's full attention again. She loved that look he gave her. "I should probably go now. I came out here to return your 'phone'…and that normally doesn't take this long."

Tommy let out a light chuckle before turning serious again. "I'll be waiting for you tonight."

Jude rolled her eyes. "Don't say it like that. Besides, I think I made it clear that I am just coming over to talk. Nothing else."

Tommy did his signature grin. "Whatever you say."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jude rolled off of Tommy, sweaty, naked, and completely undone. Her shallow breathing made her chest rise and fall, and Tommy quickly found his arousal increasing for the third time that night. "So when you said we needed to talk, I'm guessing that was just a cover," Tommy joked as he maneuvered himself to face Jude better.

"No," Jude began, still exasperated. "I meant…to talk. I just got…caught up in…in the moment." She paused to steady her breathing. "Fuck it, I'm just gonna blame alcohol since I was drinking both nights this happened."

Tommy cocked his eyebrows. "So you're saying you don't have feelings for me?"

She rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her forehead, finding strange comfort as it rested there. "You know that's not it at all, it's just…"

"Good," Tommy interrupted. He hovered gently above her and kissed her lips sensuously as one of his hands lightly grazed the bare flesh from her neck down to her collarbone.

A small moan escaped Jude's parted lips before she realized what she was being sucked into again. She shook her head and politely pushed his shoulders away to break the contact. "Tommy, please stop. We really need to talk about this now. That's why I came over, remember?"

Tommy stared at Jude's face earnestly before moving away from her and sitting up against the headboard of his oak bed frame, the sheets barely covering him from the waist down. Jude mimicked his upright position. "Ok," he began slowly, "let's talk."

The room was silent for a couple of long, tense minutes. She meticulously played with her fingernails while he stared at the remote on the bedside table, debating whether or not to turn on the TV to cover up the eerie silence.

Jude spoke first. "This is ridiculous…and not to mention, slightly awkward. Usually when I'm with you I find myself talking a mile a minute, and now…"

Tommy nodded his head. "I know. But at the same time, we never openly covered topics of this magnitude before."

"Well, I suppose I should start first." She paused, preparing the speech she had always intended to give, but never found the courage to say until this moment. "When I first met you," her voice softened, "I unavoidably admitted to myself that I was attracted to you."

"I remember what you wore that night."

"Let me finish," Jude intervened. He zipped his mouth shut after that, intent on listening to her side of the story. "I wasn't planning on having feelings for my husband's business partner, but we obviously know how that turned out." He smirked knowingly, but remained silent, still hanging on her every word. "And, well, what I'm trying to say is that I'm not sure if my impulses were right this time if all it has left me are two cases of adultery and a heavy heart over the lust-fueled mess I've made." She hoped to get everything out without crying, but the tears slowly running down her cheeks had a different plan.

He wanted to comfort her; wanted to wipe away the tears that made his heart ache so much that it terrified him. But more than that, he feared the meaningful action might make her defensive and want to push him even further away than she had already done, what she had been doing since the night of their intimate driving excursion.

"I'm entirely too indecisive for my own good, but this time I've made my decision…I'm just not so thrilled about it."

Her words were foreign to him. "I'm not sure I understand where you're going with this, Jude."

She looked at him with a vacant expression. "I guess you could say the head wins over the heart this time." He was starting to see the picture more clearly, and as she said the words aloud, he could see the raw emotion, a mixture of anger and fear, forming on her face. "I can't be a home-wrecker, Tommy. I've worked too hard at my marriage to let it all fall apart because of a minor indiscretion. I won't be like them."

"Them?"

She sighed, leaning her head back against the headboard. "My parents. They gave up when others would find the strength to put more effort into a relationship. Unlike them, I know a marriage is work, and not some game that allows you to toy with other people's lives. Unlike them, I won't succumb to mixed feelings and emotions."

She tried to calm down, wiping the tears off her face with the back of her hand. This pause allowed Tommy time to mull over her exact words. "So, you want everything to just go back to normal?" he finally asked, half-hoping she would say no.

"I just think it would be in everyone's best interest if we, you know, pretended this little incident…well, incidents never happened." She watched his shoulders visibly tense before he turned his head away from her. "Of course, we'll still be friends. You're important to me, Tommy. And you know I'll want you as my producer, 'cause I really don't trust anyone's opinion but yours when it comes to music."

"You know it won't be that simple."

She put her head down. "Well, maybe not now, but they say things always get easier with time. We'll probably see each other so much eventually we'll be sick of one another."

Tommy wanted to smirk at her off-handed comment, but it wasn't worth the energy. "Oh, is that how you see it all happening?"

"Absolutely. I'll give it a month before you start wishing you never met me. I can be a real monster when I want something to go my way."

He couldn't help it. He was amused by how light-hearted she could make everything seem, considering the situation, and it made him smile. He was truly amazed by how she could be terrified one minute and carefree the next. One of the many things he loved about this woman.

He still had his doubts about her 'so-called' decision, though. A week ago, he would have understood if she said she just wanted to be friends. But her emotions and actions this evening were betraying her, and he was beginning to feel that regret wouldn't be a one-sided ordeal for the pair.

"So, how do we go about doing this?" he asked.

"For starters," she began, looking around uncomfortably, "I should probably fetch my clothes and…uh…put them back on."

"I saw something light blue out of the corner of my eye a few minutes ago; on the floor by my side of the bed." Her cotton panties. Jude got up and began slipping on her undergarments. "The rest of it might be out in the hall."

Jude giggled, highly entertained at the moment. "We certainly didn't waste any time, did we?"

Tommy could think of many replies to this question, most of which were sexual, but something stopped him from saying anything at all. He had to get used to the idea of Jude and himself being just friends, and her playful remark was giving him unwanted hope. He needed to get this notion out of his head, but it was more difficult than he thought it would be.

His expression gave away the inner turmoil he was fighting and Jude recognized it. She took things too far. Her best bet was to walk away and continue doing what she started.

When Jude returned to the room, after retrieving her discarded clothes from the hallway, she was zipping up the grey hoodie she had on an hour ago. She looked up at Tommy, feeling almost as awkward as she did climbing off his lap last month. "So…I guess I should be getting home now."

He still didn't say anything. He honestly didn't know what to say. "Don't go" or "stay with me" were inappropriate and would probably warrant an unnecessary outburst from Jude. It was best to silently let her go.

She was surprised by his mute reply. She guessed it made it easier to leave that way. A small part of her hoped he would tell her to stay, but it was unacceptable to feel this way. The deafening silence was making the situation more awkward, if that were possible. "Okay. I'll just, um, see you on Friday then? You know, for the studio launch."

He nodded his head, refusing to look at her. Jude was starting to get impatient with him. _Say something, damnit._ He wouldn't oblige her silent plea and continued to ignore her like a selfish, little boy. If he really wanted to end things this way, then she wouldn't fight it.

"Bye." As quickly as she could, Jude raced back down the hall and out of Tommy's apartment. Taking in the fresh air, Jude stared up at the darkened midnight sky. She could count the number of visible stars on one hand; the city lights acting as a thin, opaque barrier to the world above.

She missed being ten years old, lying on the grassy hill hear her childhood home with her arms behind her head. Her parents sat on either side of her, gazing at the sky up above as they all searched for constellations among the navy blue backdrop. That was when she was happy, when her parents were happy. But apparently they were never as happy as she always assumed, and it broke her heart to see them so removed from each other.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," she thought out loud, to no one in particular.

It was easier said than done.

It was the day of the launch.

Jude felt bad for not going the day prior to help them unload all of their equipment, but she had to work. Bath & Body Works was her temporary job, her safety net until Jamie and Tommy's business was running full capacity so she could start focusing more on her music career. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but Tommy was the other reason she never showed up yesterday.

They agreed to be friends, but it didn't mean things would be easy between them. Of course there was no avoiding him at the launch. The grand opening of _Eclectic Generation_ was invitation only, comprised mostly of employees and artists already signed, as well as potential clients and investors. When Jamie told his wife that the launch was to be semi-formal, she took it as a good enough excuse to break out her party dresses.

She singled out five dresses before narrowing them down to two. After modeling for Jamie those in contention, she was given no additional help in deciding since he felt that both were 'fine'. She was seconds away from flipping a coin when Jamie finally added in his two cents worth.

"Hey, how about you wear that black dress? You know, the one with the silver strap? I haven't seen you wear it since you bought it."

_Oh goddy, god, god_. Of all the dresses she owned, he had to pick that one: the tainted, black dress. The one that instigated this whole mess.

"Oh, I don't know if this is really the right…occasion for that dress," Jude protested. _Plus,_ _Tommy probably wouldn't appreciate it very much_, she added as an after thought.

"What's wrong with this occasion? It looks nice on the hanger, and I bet it'd look even better on."

Jude rolled her eyes and snapped into her old sarcastic self, wanting to forget about all the wretched drama. "Well, if you really want to wear it that badly, be my guest. Just try not to stretch it out, and don't blame me if people change their mind about signing with you once they see you in that sleek number."

Jamie sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with the hanger that was holding the silky dress. "You know," he started, "this alliance with Quincy was probably one of the best decisions I made, and I don't mean business-wise. Don't get me wrong, the guy can sign artists like it's a walk in the park; especially female ones."

Jude gave a light chuckle. "Swooning is a natural response when women have come into contact with that man." She felt her cheeks flush, picturing him in her mind at that very moment. This little Tommy obsession of hers was starting to get obnoxious.

"That is true." Jamie sat quietly for a moment, deep in thought. "But, all that aside, he's been a pretty good friend to us over these past few months." Jude's thoughts couldn't ignore alluding to the fact that he'd been _more_ than a friend as of late, but she let her husband continue. "I mean, he's a really cool guy, knows so much about the industry—I could honestly listen to him talk for hours about his experiences, and he's really made us feel welcome, being strangers to the Windy City…"

Jude let her mind wander as Jamie went off on his rambling about Tommy. She remembered the first day she met him, his style and presence a clear indication of his maturity since his boy band days. And he did have a lot of interesting stories to tell, some of which she promised to take to the grave, but others had notions of inspiration in them, almost presenting itself as magical. She desperately wanted to make her own memories as an artist.

Above all else, and Jamie could never know this, Tommy made her feel beautiful. She never saw any man look at a woman the way Tommy looked at her. It was a combination of a need and a want; a desire and a necessity. His longing gazes made her weak, physically as well as emotionally.

Jude came back to down to Earth just in time to hear Jamie ask if she agreed with his assessment, to which she _mostly_ listened to. She did agree with his praise of Tommy, but in more ways than one.

"Oh, um, yeah. Tommy is…well, Tommy is a pretty terrific guy, actually." What was Jude doing? The whole idea was to get Tommy out of her head, not fill it with this 'more than an attraction' nonsense. That was it. Game over. Time for a gear change. "Okay, we're going to be late unless I start getting ready, so…"

"I still think you'd look great in this one," Jamie cut in, shaking the familiar black dress on the hanger. Ugh. Why is he so adamant about the dress? Whatever. She may be stirring a boiling pot, but she also wasn't about to start making all of her decisions based on how Tommy feels. If her husband wanted her to wear a stupid dress, then she was going to do it. She'd do it to look good for him, no one else.

"Fine," Jude began with an eye roll. "You win. Now get the hell out so I can sexify myself. You know how I feel about people watching me get dressed." Jamie obeyed, and within an hour, the couple had parked in the lot behind his new office.

It was mid-December. The leaves on the trees were, for the most part, non-existent. A light frost brushed over anything that was still green. Jude was glad they weren't anywhere near the lake. The frigid temperatures dropped steadily every week, and even though she was wearing a red wool peacoat, her nylon-enclosed legs felt no comfort in the warmth of her arms. She took rushed, baby steps to harness her energy as they made the trek around to the front of the building.

"Brrr. Do you think if I click my heels together three times and say 'there's no place like California', I'll magically find myself tanning on a beach and sipping a mojito?"

"Since when do you tan?" Jamie questioned. "You're one of the fairest people I know. You probably have a high susceptibility to skin cancer, too."

Jude gave Jamie a quizzical look. "Wow. Way to take the fun out of the imagination game."

Turning the corner, Jude took quick notice of the large crowd of people, huddled near the doors of the familiar brick building. Jamie had taken her here a couple of times before, trying to get Jude to envision his future set up of the studio once everything was put in place. Tonight was her first opportunity to see the finished result.

They made their way toward the massive and slightly awkward huddle. Jude started recognizing some of the guests but couldn't find Tommy among the sea of faces. Not that she was particularly looking for him or anything.

Jamie shook the hand of a man who quickly made his way toward the couple. "Hey, Rufus, how's it going?"

"Cold, fuckin' day is 'ow it's goin', mate," the young, rugged man spat out in his thick, Australian accent. "When do we 'ead in there, anyway?"

Jamie looked at his watch. "Soon. In fact, let me check with Tommy to see if we can start letting people in."

He left Jude alone with the pompous Aussie. She never met him before, but she had heard both Jamie and Tommy mention him on different occasions. There was a general consensus: great musician, but a bit if a horse's ass to work with. She prayed to God he wouldn't try to make conversation with her now that Jamie was gone.

"So, Blondie" her prayers were obviously for naught, "are you blowin' the boss to get firs' dibs on studio time or somethin'?"

She bit her tongue _really_ hard, stopping herself from saying anything she would probably regret, or at least that Jamie would later chastise her for. As vile as the man standing next to her was, she knew Jamie and Tommy both had high hopes for his music career.

Luckily, Jamie appeared again a moment later, speaking loud enough for the guests to hear. "Alright, everyone. As much as I know you're all enjoying the warm, sunny weather we've got this afternoon," light chuckles and side chatter dispersed among the crowd. _Oh my, Jamie, how terribly witty you are_, thought Jude. "I'd like to officially welcome each and every one of you to the launch of _Eclectic Generation_, the newest, hottest record label to hit the Chicago scene." Claps and cheers rang loudly, even though there couldn't have been more than 20 people surrounding the building door.

Jamie made a motion to silence the crowd. "So, without further ado, let's open these doors and let the magic begin." _Magic? What are we expecting, a circus act?_

People hurriedly made their way through the narrow doorways as they handed the usher their invitations, anxious to get out of the cold. Once inside, Jude immediately hung up her coat on one of the racks in the front room, momentarily oblivious to the live music behind her. She turned around, only to be instantly wowed by the 5-piece band playing in the center rotunda of the rather large building.

Now that she was able to take things in, it really was exquisite. The walls were amber, with brass lanterns hanging decoratively on either side of every door. Two small staircases lined the opposing walls, leading to the second floor—which was home to mostly offices. The see-through studios were directly below. Backed up against each staircase were large, cushioned couches—purple and adorned with assorted pillows.

Jude walked past the band that was playing a nice, jazzy tune, the perfect ambiance for a celebration like today. After taking a quick look around, her new mission was to find her husband. Finally spotting him by the makeshift bar, talking to people (of importance, she assumed), she made her way toward Jamie to make him promise to never leave her alone with Rufus again. He turned around after she forcefully tapped on his shoulder.

"Listen, do me a favor. The next time you abandon me to baby-sit your foul-mouthed artist…"

Her eye made the mistake of straying toward one of the men Jamie was talking with. Since she promised herself she would not intentionally go looking for him, his presence caught her completely off guard.

_God damnit._ She should've guessed he would look good in a tux. Not good…downright sexy.

This man is going to be the death of me.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5.2**

**So, I honestly don't know why these chapters are taking so long lately. I'm done with school and haven't found a job yet, so I have a LOT of free time on my hands. I'm just having major writer's block right now. Hopefully it'll start flowing easier relatively soon. Anyway, on with the show.**

Tom Quincy was dressed in a black suit with the top two buttons of his matching shirt undone. He looked like a young Johnny Cash, except he didn't have a drinking problem and he honestly wasn't the biggest country music fan.

Nevertheless, he was the greatest indulgence a girl could ask for. But not a married girl. No, that would be like having a long-term commitment to Twix bars—seeking them out on Halloween, memorizing D6 because of its placement in the school vending machine, putting back toilet paper instead of the candy bar because you don't have enough cash for both—and suddenly finding an exhilarating pull toward Reese's; to the point where it's not enough just to look because that satisfyingly different flavor makes your taste buds explode into another dimension. If only you started your Reese's fix before pledging an oath to the Twix.

Okay, so candy probably wasn't the best analogy for the two men in her life, but the point Jude was trying to make to herself was that, ultimately, the Twix bar would feel betrayed and ashamed of her for making him believe that her commitment meant more than empty promises. She didn't care how good Reese's were—and to be truthful, PHENOMENAL was a more sufficient word—the fact of the matter was that they were destined to be nothing more than passing acquaintances.

"Foul-mouthed what?" Jamie repeated back to prompt Jude into finishing her sentence. However, once she gained the strength to tear her eyes away from the GQ model standing before her, and looked in her husband's eyes, she could see an obviously pleading element in them. She soon got the hint that trash talking his artists was not a profit-inducing scheme in front of this group of people.

Jude tried to clumsily cover her tracks. "Um..the, uh…foul-mouthed artist who is…uh…painting the mural for the studio." After suffering so many years from foot-in-mouth disease, this moment only added itself to the list of things she regretted voicing. "Yeah," Jude continued, "_that_ artist. He's just a handful and I don't really want to deal with that anymore, so you're gonna have to take the reigns on that one."

Jamie couldn't tell if the men around him were convinced by her outlandish fib, but there was no easy way to change the story without adding to their confusion. "Okay" was the only response he mustered up before turning back to his private audience. He'd deal with the "mural" debacle later.

Jude, though trying hard to force herself not to, made a quick glance toward Tommy. He wasn't looking at her. Whether it was because he was otherwise distracted or downright ignoring her, she couldn't be sure. The only certainty was that the small smile on his lips was the least he could do to prevent himself from busting out. She just didn't know what was so funny.

Jamie, in order to switch gears from the previous, ineffectual conversation, made introductions for Jude. She was right. They were big wigs. Two of the men were distributors from Sony while the short, tubby fellow standing next to Tommy worked for EMI.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you all, but I should probably go mingle some more," Jude announced, slowly walking away from what could soon very well be the dullest conversation she would ever get herself into. "Don't keep these boys too busy," she added, gesturing to Jamie and Tommy. After one last wave she was off.

Jude spent a fair amount of time comparing guitar calluses with fellow musicians, laughing with Joan, one of the secretaries, about Jamie's insatiable habit of biting pens and accidentally having them explode in his mouth, and, of course, getting a sneak peak at the recording studios.

She had always admired the sleek look of soundboards, longing to feel the hard ridges of the black, plastic knobs against her fingertips. It was a strange thing to impulsively crave, but she fed that impulse, nonetheless. It was almost territorial; like she could truly have all this, attain everything she ever dreamed of, and the tangible equipment in front of her was proof.

Her undisclosed, intimate moment with the soundboard was interrupted, and after jumping out of her skin at the sound of the brief rapping on the door, she turned to see who was intruding her alone time. Kwest, the man Tommy introduced her to at the bar, was smiling awkwardly at the blonde and starting to wonder if he should come back later.

"Kwest! Wow. It's certainly good to see you again," she remarked, slightly embarrassed and wondering how much he had actually seen.

"Sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to stop by and say, 'hey'."

"Oh. Right. That…um, I mean I know that might have looked a little weird," Jude explained, gesturing to the hardware behind her, "but I was just…"

"Say no more," Kwest interrupted. "You're preaching to a guy whose been known to give a pep talk to the soundboard whenever he gets a new gig. It's usually a private affair. I think only true music lovers can appreciate the raw power of sound equipment."

Jude nods in agreement. "Okay, well I've probably snuck away long enough. Shall we?"

Kwest and Jude left the studio, walking toward the main rotunda, where the music and conversation was in full bloom. "So, are you excited about finally being able to work in the studios?"

"Absolutely. And thanks, by the way. Jamie said you gave a beaming review."

Jude shrugged her shoulders. "What can I say? I've got a strong hold over the guy." Nearing the circular auditorium where the band was in full swing, Jude began recognizing the many couples making use of their nimble feet. Most recreated the classic 3-step they probably learned from their high school P.E. days, but it still looked like a lot of fun. Right as she began asking Kwest if he wanted to dance, Tommy appeared, quickly joining in the conversation.

"I swear if I have to hear one more suit talk logistics tonight I'm going to test out that fire alarm and then find a place where I can drink until I forget everything from tonight."

Kwest ignored Tommy's off-handed comment. "That's nice of you to ask, Jude, but I'm not a very public person. So, dancing isn't really my thing. I bet Tommy'd like to though."

Jude dramatically raised her eyebrows at the same instant Tommy furrowed his. "Do what?"

To say she was surprised by his acceptance was an understatement. After their latest uncomfortable exchange less than two days ago—which involved fewer articles of clothing—she thought she would have to deal with a little snubbing on his part. He didn't seem entirely thrilled by her 'just friends' decision; which, to be honest, kind of made her want to shriek like a fan girl. Who wouldn't if _the_ Tommy Q secretly wanted to be more than friends with you?

As he led her onto the dance floor, she softly spoke her objections. "Look, I wasn't planning on this happening, okay? I asked your friend and then you... If you want, I can probably fake an ankle injury ten seconds into dancing. Heels aren't my best friend anyway, so it's easily done."

"Why are you getting all defensive? I said yes because I wanted to dance. You're not my charity case."

"Oh. I thought…well, I just thought you might still be mad at me," she pouted.

Tommy rolled his eyes as he grabbed her by the waist. "Don't be so dramatic, Harrison."

"I'm not," she defensively spat out before smacking his arm. _Good god, his biceps are perfect_. "Stop being a dick and remind me how to swing. I'm not exactly what you'd call a pro at this whole 3-step thing."

Tommy gripped her hand in his, and, as if on cue, the song ended and a new one started; a song much too slow for Jude's taste at the moment.

Jude quickly loosened her hand from his and placed it on her waist nervously. "Um, so the ankle sprain is still an option if you're interested." Tommy stared Jude down like an agitated parent trying to get their kid to tell the truth. His gaze was forceful, and she eventually gave up pretending. "It's just weird, that's all," she explained, with a much softer and timid voice than before. "With everything that's been going on, us being thrown together, and now slow dancing. I mean, what are the odds of it all playing out this way?"

As Tommy took a closer look at Jude, he could better see her frustration. Her nerves were twitching madly, though she tried her hardest to calm them. He had a fair hunch that her discomfort had something to do with him, but instead of doing his usual 'get mad and storm off' routine, he took a different course in hopes of lessening the weight on her shoulders.

"Well, the odds are good when you make it that way. You see, I can't lie to you anymore, Jude." Tommy smirked confidently. "I planned the whole thing. Kwest, the song, all of it. Next, the room is going to clear out and the only two people on the dance floor will be you and me."

Jude stared at Tommy with a fixed confusion until her face slowly began to relax and her lips simultaneously curved up into a smile. "You're a ridiculous flirt, you know that?" Before she realized it, they were leisurely sweeping across the dance floor.

"That's weird because Jamie was saying the exact same thing the other night."

Jude laughed and playfully hit his arm for the second time that night. "Hey! Telling gay-lover jokes about the two of you is my thing. Don't you dare try and take that away from me."

"Fine, I won't mention it again as long as you stop taking your anger out on me. I think a bruise is starting to form," he mocked as he gently rubbed his left arm with a pained expression on his face.

"I'm pretty sure you'll live," she said, smiling. "You're built to withstand a minor blow from a measly, little girl like me." She gave his bicep a squeeze for emphasis.

He didn't come back with his usual sarcastic remark, which she had been solely depending on to ease the tension between them. Instead he caught her quite off guard. "You're not measly." She was only half-listening to the actual words, his intense gaze saying so much more. Choosing not to fight the alluring pull, she stared back at the handsome, broad-shouldered man holding her tightly against him.

"What would you call me, then?" Jude was playing with fire; the flames making both their faces flush with sensation. They weren't even sure if they were dancing anymore. All they knew was that the danger of the game was quickly dominated by the pleasure of it.

Tommy grinned like a lion spotting his prey. "Jude Harrison, there are many things that I would call you," her stomach fluttered with excitement, "and measly is the least of them."

They were both on the edge. Jude made a brief glance around the expansive room, to make sure nobody surrounding them had noticed their 'heated' intercourse. "Well…if you're not too busy I'd definitely like to hear more of these so-called things, but possibly in a…_private_ setting. Say, for example, Studio B in ten minutes?"

Tommy was stunned. Her frank methods of persuasion knew exactly how to entice him, but he was still a little unsure of himself and what he _should_ be doing. He tried to calm his acute senses. "Jude, I…"

"Unfortunately, Tom, my feet aren't as lively as they were an hour ago," she confessed loudly, more for the crowd than for him. "Thanks for the dance, but I think a well-needed Whiskey Sour is calling my name." What an actress. She gave him a swift once-over and a cute smile before departing from the dance floor.

Tommy was left standing alone in the middle of the rotunda, rendered utterly speechless. A thousand questions jumbled around in his head. _Is she being serious? Am I dreaming? If I did follow her, would I just be setting myself up for yet another disappointment? _ He wasn't sure if he could handle any more heartbreak from that woman, yet at the same time he never wanted anyone so badly in his life.

He left the throng of dancing couples to have a drink with Kwest. His friend rambled on about one of his New York gigs, but all Tommy could do was think about Jude's seductive proposal, nodding every now and then to make Kwest think he was still listening.

After some silent contemplation and staring off into space for a bit _too_ long, Tommy finally made up his mind.

The tiny room was dark and Tommy began to doubt her even being there. She had every right to chicken out, as much as he did. Upon closer inspection, however, Tommy could see the shades were drawn in Studio B. She was waiting for him.

He tried to anticipate her every move, so as not to be caught off guard like before. He needed to control the situation and not have to worry about regrets this time. After crossing the threshold and closing the studio door, Tommy was heart-wrenchingly shocked when he turned on the light and saw Jude slumped in one of the chairs with a defeated expression.

"Why am I such an awful person?" She had never hated herself more than in this moment.

It pained Tommy to see Jude beating herself up like this. He walked closer and kneeled down in front of the chair, his hands quickly grasping hers in reassurance. "Jude. You're not."

"I feel like I should be tried in court or something. No parole for this adulterer."

"You're just confused about your feelings. It's really a lot more common than you think."

Jude finally found the courage to look up at him. "Is it? Because, you're right, I am extremely confused. This is the third time I've tried to get in your pants, and I don't know what's wrong with me. I mean, I'm not saying I don't love Jamie, because I do. He's been my best friend for the last 16 years and I love him…well, a lot. Then you came along, and when we're together, I don't know, it's just so different and refreshing somehow. But he's still my husband, Tommy."

"Listen, don't worry about…"

"You know, for a second, I thought maybe I could go back to normal; ignore my fantasies about you like they're a goddamn fly on the wall. But of course that failed the minute you showed up to the party dressed like you're doing a remake of 'Ring of Fire'."

"See, now I can't feel bad. Being compared to the infamous Johnny Cash? It's a man's natural instinct to feel flattered. So, does that make you my June Carver?"

Jude glared at him through watery eyes. "Shut up, Tommy. You know that's not the point." Apparently she wasn't in the mood to be cheered up. They both sat in silence for a short while, content just being in each other's company. This gave Jude more time to contemplate the severity of their situation. "You know," she began, wiping a stray tear from her eye, "maybe I'm overreacting about this whole thing. Sometimes attractions like these can be confused with lust, right? I've seen it happen before. Maybe I just need to get my husband to turn me on a little more, and then I'll be fine."

"Oh, I get it," Tommy started, not masking the hurt look in his eyes as he pushed himself up and further away from Jude. "You're saying you only liked me for my body. I'm just a toy you can play with until you're no longer bored with your own life. That's real refreshing."

Jude was getting irritated. "No, that's not it. You're not understanding me at all. I just…I don't know, okay!" She was beyond breaking point; ready to rush out of the building and run for miles, wherever her feet were willing to take her.

"Look, Jude, I'm gonna cut all the bullshit and make it easier for the both of us. I like you a lot. I knew it the first day I met you, and not just because I thought you were a pretty face. You're funny, so incredibly smart, and you love music as much as I do, if not more. And that brief time we had together, even though you spent most of it worrying and blaming yourself for having such a curious heart, it was still some of the best times I've ever spent with a woman. I don't regret a second of it."

His words were so honest and real, that they cut Jude deep. She knew what she felt for him, and it was now pretty clear how he felt about her. Maybe it was Jude's turn to open up to him, the way she should have done weeks ago.

Jude stared at Tommy, suddenly smiling as a thought came to her. "Hand me that guitar over there."

"Actually Jude, we don't start working until tomorrow," he joked, while reaching for the guitar in the corner of the tiny room.

"Ha ha. I'm not even sure I want to lay this down, but I started working on a song a couple of weeks ago and I thought you might want to hear it."

"Hold on, let me get my game face on." Tommy quickly hopped into the chair next to Jude, getting into a comfortable position as he leaned his elbow on the armrest. The expression on his face was careful scrutiny, as he patiently waited for her to begin the song, stroking his chin in the process.

After some momentary tuning, Jude jumped into the song without hesitation.

If I was drowning in the sea  
Would you dive right in and save me?  
If I was falling like a star  
Would you be right there to catch me?  
If I was dreaming of your kiss  
Would you look right through me?

On the street I'm waiting  
In my heart it's raining

Your eyes are holding up the sky  
Your eyes make me weak, I don't know why  
Your eyes make me scared to tell the truth  
I thought my heart was bullet-proof  
Now I'm dancing on the roof  
And everybody knows I'm into you

His heart was pounding out of his chest. Tommy always thought Jude's beauty intensified when she was singing. Her cheeks glowed with passion as she sang every note; and the concentrated look in her eyes was mesmerizing. Once he was able to shake himself out of his reverie, his initial response to her abridged song came in the form of a smirk—his signature smirk, of course.

Jude melted at the sight of his cunning smile as she semi-tolerantly waited for his reply. "Well?"

"Well, what?" He was testing her patience. "The song was wonderful, Jude. Very deep." She relaxed in her chair and placed the guitar back on the ground. "Am I being to bold in hoping this song is about me?"

"Wow. Vain much? I say I want to play one song for you and you make a Carly Simon song the gospel of truth." she mocked. "I'll have you know that this song happens to be about the homeless man who sits outside of my apartment building. I believe they call him Shwasty Al." Jude batted her eyes playfully. "Yes, whenever I hear Al's seductively drunk voice yell, 'hey Marilyn, I've got an itch that needs scratchin', I can't help but fall under the spell of his twitching, bloodshot eyes."

"See, that's exactly what I'm talking about," Tommy exclaimed. "Where else am I going to find someone so willing to avoid how attracted they are to me? It's so much more exciting than the desperate, needy type."

They both laughed, glad to be relieved of all the tension. For the first time since they met, they weren't afraid of being who they wanted to be. No pretenses, no shame; just pure joy.

"So, you really liked you're song then?" she asked expectantly.

"Oh, it's _my song_ now. But what will Shwasty Al think?" She smiled, but didn't dare tear her gaze from his. There was an alluring gleam in her eye. "I more than like the song. It's perfect."

Jude veered their conversation onto a more specific route. "And you wouldn't mind if we, I don't know, started seeing each other secretly? I don't want to make any rash decisions just yet, until I understand my feelings better."

He grabbed her face and softly stroked her cheek with his thumb. At this she closed her eyes and drank in his caressing touches. "I'd rather have you like this than not at all."

That very answer was the only approval she needed. "Then kiss me before I start forgetting how your lips taste." He obeyed her command eagerly, latching onto her lips like they contained the last source of air in the room.

Jude didn't know why she had fought this for so long. How could something (or someone) feel so good when she was supposed to believe it was so wrong? She didn't want to let him go, she realized that now. Every touch, look, and laugh was meant to be something bigger, and it was time she discovered that.

As their hands feverishly roamed each other's bodies during the heated lip-lock, Tommy reluctantly pulled away from Jude, making her whimper at the loss of contact. "What's wrong now?"

Tommy smiled warmly. "Nothing. I just remembered something thought." She silently looked up at him, awaiting his explanation. "How are we gonna find someone to do a mural on such short notice?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The compact kitchen added to the layout of EG (Eclectic Generation) would prove to be almost as vital to its inhabitants as the studios, Jude eager to take advantage of this on the label's first day of business. One elbow was on the island countertop for balance while her other hand slowly stirred the fourth cup of coffee she had poured that morning.

Mornings were not Jude's forte. To her "the early bird gets the worm" was an old and outdated expression, and she felt better off believing that 'the owl gets the last hoot.' Jude was definitely a night owl, hence the caffeine overload and slumped demeanor on this particular morning. On average, she never chose to wake up before noon. Nevertheless, the night before she set her alarm to buzz 15 minutes before Jamie's for the first time since college. However, those 15 minutes did not give Jude enough time to get ready and eat before Jamie wanted to leave—boys are always faster when it comes to grooming—so she skipped breakfast to make sure she could get a ride with her husband to work.

Which is how Jude got to where she was now. A quart of coffee and a bowl of honeydew melon was not Jude's ideal breakfast—though she did love her fruit—but it was all that she had at the moment and her eyes had trouble staying open long enough to discontinue the French roast I.V. that was quickly becoming her life supply.

So why did Jude wake up at dawn when her first recording session wasn't till 2pm? When Jamie asked her that same question, she simply told him how excited she was for her first day of work and about wanting to meet the other people who didn't make it to the party last night. At least she wasn't completely lying to her husband because she honestly was thrilled about not having to work as many hours at Bath & Body Works and finally being able to lay some songs down. And Jude really did want to meet the new employees because living in a new town doesn't afford as many acquaintances as Jude thought it would. She had to grab at every chance of making new friends. Jamie hounded her about that on a daily basis.

All of this being said, Jude knew deep down that it wasn't the real reason why she wanted to show up to work before everyone else. Truthfully, there were only two words floating around in her head: Tom Quincy. Who would honestly guess differently if they noticed how cozy the two were in Studio B the night before. They had spent almost an hour locked up alone, the general crowd obviously enjoying themselves too much to even realize the two were missing. They didn't spend that hour christening the soundboard or studio couch—like you'd think. Instead, they talked about anything and everything. To Jude, last night was utter bliss, and she couldn't wait to see him again.

Daydreaming about the party, Jude was unfortunately brought down from her cloud when someone waltzed into the kitchen. All morning she acted like a radar, focusing her efforts on the doorway whenever someone so much as passed by the kitchen. This time, and like the many before, it wasn't the person she was looking for.

"Oh, hi Mrs. Andrews." The petite brunette looked up at Jude with childlike eyes and an effortless smile. Bailey was EG's youngest client, barely 15, and portrayed that perfect innocence that Jamie was hoping to market.

"Hi, Bailey. I'm kinda surprised to see you here." Jude looked at her watch thinking it was later but it read only 9:37 a.m. "Don't you have school?"

"Yeah, but I didn't have any like big tests or projects or anything so my mom called me in sick just for today since we were both so excited for the opening!" It almost sickened Jude to see Bailey's early morning enthusiasm, but she promptly reminded herself that tolerance was essential for survival in this business.

"Oh. Well, alright then." She went back to playing with the few pieces of melon left in her bowl, but it didn't stop Bailey from talking.

"So, I was passing the studios this morning and noticed the recording schedules were taped up for the day and I was like 'when does Mrs. Andrews have studio time?' cuz at the party you were so nice to me and I thought you were totally cool. Anyway, I looked at the schedule and what do you know, I see your name right above mine and I thought 'what a coincidence', you know?"

"Yeah." _Just keep smiling_, Jude silently instructed herself. "That's really neat, Bailey, but I thought I mentioned yesterday that I didn't take Jamie's last name. In fact, don't even worry about those technicalities and just call me Jude. 'Mrs.' makes me sound old and teacher-like."

Bailey looked at Jude nervously. "I'm sorry, I forgot. I should've remembered since the roster said 'Harrison' and not 'Andrews'. And the 'Mrs.' thing was just because old habits die hard when the only twenty-somethings you really spend time with give out test scores and lame lectures on our history."

Jude laughed. _I don't think this girl has actually taken a breath yet. _"Don't sweat it. So, did you want some coffee or something? The kitchen isn't well stocked yet but I just made a fresh pot. We also have this chocolate hazelnut blend that I'm frankly a little hesitant to try."

"No, I'm good thanks. My mom says too much caffeine makes me hyper. I really just came in to talk to you about the roster thing. You see," _oh god_, Jude thought as she looked around the room for a chair. She figured she'd be here for a while. "When I noticed your name on the 2 o'clock slot I thought 'here's someone I can really learn the ropes from' since you said you've been playing the guitar since you were 12 and I was hoping…"

As Bailey continued her lengthy prose, Jude abruptly shifted from the girl's attention to whatever her eyes briefly glimpsed at by the doorway. Someone was standing there, causing her radar to go off and her instincts to give into the distraction. She was immediately transfixed by the tall, muscular man in a leather jacket, staring at the two women—well, one in particular. He was finally here and Jude was giddy with relief.

Tommy let an amused grin form on his face which made Jude wonder how long he had been standing there watching them. Bailey's sprightly blabbering must have diverted Jude from her main purpose of searching for Tommy which allowed him to find her first.

As the slow seconds passed, Bailey continued to run her mouth off while Jude and Tommy only had eyes for each other. Tommy's smile weakened as he focused more on Jude instead of on the trap the 15 year-old had got her in. He noticed her wavy golden hair, still slightly tousled from the cool morning breeze. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes, wondering how early she got up to get here, but never thinking the fatigue detracted from her beauty in any way.

They both felt like teenagers, engulfed in this ridiculous puppy love that left them with butterflies in their stomach whenever their eyes locked. Jude was ready to abandon Bailey's one-sided conversation to see if Tommy had some free time before he had to devote himself to his many artists. Within moments of this plan, however, Tommy was snatched up by someone else. Kwest approached him on some subject or other, and before long Tommy gave a quick apologetic glance at Jude and left with his friend.

_Perfect. I dragged my ass out of bed for fleeting glances._ Jude turned her attention back to Bailey just as the young girl concluded, "So, do you think that would be cool?"

"Huh?"

Bailey was pleading sweetly. "I promise I won't bother you. It'll be like I'm not even there."

Jude thought about asking for clarification again because thanks to her 'Tommy' radar she completely missed the last minute and a half of Bailey's proposal. She also considered how pathetic it would look to admit her ignorance in front of this girl who clearly looked up to her.

"Um…yeah, sure. That should be fine, I guess." _I hope._ Whatever Bailey was asking Jude couldn't have been too extreme so she decided to blindly go along with it.

Bailey's face beamed. "Really? Oh my gosh, Jude, you seriously rock! Okay, well I'm gonna try and do some more writing so I'll see you in a couple of hours." To Jude's relief, Bailey was finally bouncing her way out of the kitchen. Yes, she literally bounced. This gave Jude a chance to slow down and collect her thoughts after chugging way too much coffee and spending over five minutes with a chatterbox teen. It was making her nerves twitch madly. She dumped the remaining contents of her coffee cup into the sink. She didn't need any more artificial pick-me-ups after seeing Tommy.

Seriously, when does that man not look good? His brown leather jacket and tan cashmere v-neck couldn't have looked better on anyone else. Accept maybe Chase Crawford. With that in consideration, she was determined not to spend the majority of her day coming up with ways to get him alone somewhere. It was stupid to obsess over Tommy this way, so she had to make productive use of her time until her session with him at 2pm.

It was 1:45pm and Jude was wiping away the tiny drops of perspiration from her forehead. Jude's version of productivity was apparently much different from the others since she spent nearly three hours running errands for anyone with special requests. If clients didn't like the coffee, she went out and bought them Starbuck's. If the tech-hands were hungry, she drove through Portillo's for hamburgers and Italian beef sandwiches. What Jude saw as a thoughtful gesture for hardworking individuals, Jamie saw as a weird fascination of keeping herself busy. He claimed these duties were "what we hire interns for so don't feel like you need to done an apron to help out the company."

She was prone to agree with her husband and honestly intended on stopping…right after she quickly popped into the convenience store for items to stock the fridge with. She convinced herself that this would actually help their situation temporarily until Jamie found a suitable intern to carry on Jude's servitude.

Once Jude looked at her cell phone and saw how late it was, she barely had enough time to run to the bathroom and fix herself up before recording with Tommy. Looking into the mirror, she was completely mortified. Tiny hairs around her face were drenched in sweat and clung to her skin. Her cheeks were bright red and her lips were slightly chapped from dehydration. She couldn't sing in front of Tommy like this. Jude let the faucet run as she cupped the water in her hands and splashed it upward onto her face. The cold water felt strangely comfortable as it sent chills up her spine. Even though the Chicago weather had dropped into negative numbers today, the building's heater must have been on high to put Jude in this flushed state.

Since agreeing to unofficially date Tommy while remain a married woman, Jude had reached an all-time high level of anxiety. She knew she couldn't ignore her feelings for Tommy, but a small part of her still felt wrong about it all. Two opposing elements were sitting on her shoulders bickering back and forth like old ladies and the only way Jude thought she could ignore these hallucinations was to continuously occupy her free time—hence the nonchalance of being dubbed 'errand girl'.

Jude pat-dried her face and hurriedly applied some lipstick and mascara. As she continued to stare at her reflection a smile appeared on her face at the thought of spending a full hour with Tommy. She hadn't even found a chance to speak with him all day other than asking him if he wanted fries with his burger. Now she could be alone with him and say what she wanted without fear of others listening. She knew no one else would be in the room with them because Kwest left at noon.

What made Jude most excited about this rendezvous was that, for some reason, whenever she was alone with Tommy, the quarreling voices in her head ceased. Being with him made everything easier to understand and accept, and she didn't feel the need to worry about the consequences. She liked it when she didn't have to worry about something; it honestly wasn't good for her skin.

Finally pleased with her appearance, Jude left the bathroom and headed toward Studio B, grabbing her guitar and two bottles of water along the way. The butterflies in her stomach returned as she stood in the doorway of the studio Tommy occupied. It was like a complete role reversal from this morning. Jude watched, smiling, as Tommy looked beyond frustrated trying to help the guy in the sound booth fix his song.

Jude shifted her guitar to the other hand, causing Tommy to notice her presence. He let his eyes drift to the clock to his right and let out a visible sigh of relief. "Alright, Terrance," Tommy began while pushing the intercom button, "that's it for today, but keep working on the song on your down time. The lyrics are good. I just still think you should put it in a different key." Terrance came out and grabbed his things off of the couch. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

Terrance walked out, discouraged with himself. "Yeah, whatever." For the life of Jude, she didn't understand why Tommy and Jamie drew up so many contracts with teenagers. Granted they are a large market right now, but having to deal with their emotional baggage or excessive perkiness was like running a daycare.

They were finally alone. Jude made her way into the studio and sat in the chair next to Tommy, eyes locked and both grinning like bobcats. For both parties, it had been an extremely long day, prolonged even more by their separation.

As luck would have it, Jude couldn't even get out a "hi" before another voice interrupted.

"Oh, Jude!" Speaking of excessively perky. "I almost thought I wasn't going to make it," Bailey stammered as she barged in and flopped on the couch. "I was waiting in line at that sandwich shop down the block and this awkward, geeky guy with huge glasses kept changing his order so they'd remake it for him and, well, it just took forever."

Jude looked at Bailey dumbfounded. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Speaking of which," Bailey continued, pulling out a wrapped up sub from her bag, "is it cool if I eat this in here? I'm starving!"

Neither Tommy nor Jude understood why this teen was acting so casual about interrupting their session. Jude remembered Bailey mentioning how her time slot was after Jude's so there shouldn't have been confusion.

Tommy headed the line of questioning this time. Jude could tell he was eager to get the teenager out of here. "Food is allowed, Bailey, but why do you have to eat it in here now? This is Jude's recording time."

Bailey took a bite out of her sandwich, not pausing to chew before replying. "I know. That's why I'm here. Jude said I could sit in."

Tommy turned his head back to Jude, eyebrows raised. "Really? Jude said that?"

Jude didn't remember anything of the sort, but she did suddenly remember completely missing a chunk of what Bailey was saying to her this morning. Damn Tommy and his elusive power to make her blackout any distractions in his presence! "Oh. Oh! I did, uh, say that, didn't I? It must've slipped my mind since I was so busy today."

Leaning back in his swivel chair with his arms crossed, Tommy looked too smug for his own good. "Right. Busy taking lunch orders. You know, if only Bailey caught you in time, then she wouldn't have had to deal with that indecisive customer."

"Uh, don't even get me started on him again." Bailey was picking an unwanted tomato out of her sandwich.

Jude and Tommy continued to stare each other down, unbeknownst to Bailey. "Yes. Please, Tommy, don't get her started." Jude had enough of the petite brunette's blabbering for one day. "So, who wants to start putting down some rough cuts? Everyone? Great! I'll set up then." Jude unlocked her guitar case, putting the acoustic guitar in one hand and music sheets in the other.

"So, you brought Davies with you, huh? What's wrong, don't like what we provide?" Tommy gestured to the guitar in the corner.

Jude rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's fine for a novice." Glancing at Bailey, Jude could see the girl sheepishly sink down into the couch. "But mainly I just like to bring him as my good luck charm." She caressed the spine lovingly. "Davies and I have been through a lot together."

"So what's the significance behind calling it, or him, Davies?" Bailey finally asked out of curiosity.

Jude looked back at Tommy. "You wanna take this one, Tommy Q?"

Tommy glared at Jude for using his old nickname before going into the explanation. "Alright, you know the band The Kinks?"

Bailey scrunched up her forehead. "Um…no."

"Okay, how about the song 'Lola'?"

The teen's face contorted even more as she shook her head. Tommy looked to Jude for help, who put down her notes and placed the guitar strap around her neck.

"You need to think earlier, bud. Like this." She played the first few riffs of "You Really Got Me" on her guitar repeatedly until the light bulb went off in Bailey's head.

"Well," Tommy continued, "Ray Davies is the genius behind that band. Jude idolizes him for his fearlessness toward corporate thugs who try to take over the music industry."

"Oh, I see. I haven't named mine yet but I was thinking of something like Vader or Stone."

"Stone? Is that supposed to be a metaphor for something?" Tommy asked curiously.

Bailey laughed. "No. Peter Stone's a character on Degrassi. He's my favorite."

Jude decided to be big and not respond to that comment, because it would probably get her into trouble. She found her way into the sound booth, eager to jump into it since Bailey's unexpected arrival already wasted some of her time. "Okay," Jude spoke clearly as she leaned in toward the microphone, "since this is the first day I just want to get some rough demos recorded. All acoustic for now but we'll obviously change things as we see them later."

"You got it, boss," Tommy joked. "Recording…now."

"Alright, this first one's called 'Just the Beginning'. One, two, three, four…"

Less than 2 hours later Jude was beat. She successfully recorded most of her songs in one take, but a few of her tricky ones needed minor adjustments. Overall, both Jude and Tommy were happy with the progress they made in such a short time.

It kind of surprised Jude how serenely quiet Bailey was throughout the whole session. Sometimes Jude actually did forget she was even there, like Bailey promised. Even Jamie made an appearance to see how things were going, but he didn't want to disturb her long.

Once it was Bailey's turn to borrow Tommy's producing talents, Jude had to make her departure, even with Bailey's persistent pleading that she stay and watch her. Jude only had one thing on her mind, and, surprisingly, it wasn't Tommy. Right now nothing sounded better than laying in bed with a pint of Ben & Jerry's and a couple of Gene Kelly flicks. Granted the sun hadn't even gone down yet, but with the days being shorter in the winter and the fact that she actually woke up in the a.m. made her bed look all that more appealing.

Her voice was raspy from singing too long—nothing a little ice cream couldn't cure. She felt bad for not wanting to spend more time with Tommy but there would be plenty of time for that in the future.

"Alright, you two," Jude started as she was packing up all her stuff, "have fun." She winked at Tommy when she knew Bailey's back was turned, then abruptly left. Jude stopped by Jamie's office to tell him she was going home. He said he shouldn't be too much longer, but they both knew that was a lie. Jamie Andrews was bread to be a workaholic.

Ah. Home. Opening the freezer, Jude knew exactly what home meant to her. It was in the form of a carton of New York Super Fudge Chunk. All it needed was a spoon.

Jude did exactly as she promised herself. She popped in _Singin' in the Rain_, changed into a pair of comfy sweat pants, and nestled under the covers with her favorite ice cream in hand before pushing play. She was completely content until she heard a knock at the door just before Jude's favorite part in the movie. The only people it could be were either a neighbor—which was highly unlikely since she still barely knew anyone in the building—or Jamie. Chances were that he forgot his key at the office and needed her to let him in.

Finally crawling out of bed to open the door, she was surprised to find Tommy standing there instead.

"Hi."

"Hi."

They both faced each other silently, the door frame acting as a magical barrier between them. "Do you want to come in?"

Tommy smiled. "Yeah, sure."

"Do you want anything to drink? I could make a quick pot of coffee if you like."

"No. I'm good. Thanks." Tommy stuck his hands in his front jean pockets, rocking on his heels nervously.

Jude pursed her lips. "So, how much longer are we gonna go through this awkward first date stage?"

Tommy let out a big breath after firmly planting his feet on the ground. "As long as it takes, I guess."

"And you're willing to go through that just for me?"

He replied without hesitation as he stared into her big, beautiful eyes. "Of course."

Jude stepped closer until his large, jacket-encased arms enveloped her. She looked up at him, wrapped tightly in his embrace, and smiled.

"Is it weird to admit that I missed you today?" Tommy asked, loosening one of his arms from their hold on her to brush away a few strands of hair from her face.

Jude quivered. "Not at all. I actually agree whole-heartedly."

He loved being this close to her again. "This may sound a little juvenile but it felt like being in the same building with you all day wasn't enough." Jude was about to add on to his comment when he cut in. "And I'm not just saying that in a sexual context."

Jude laughed at his insecurity. These past few months Tommy has tried so hard to convince Jude that he's not the playboy he used to be. She nestled her head against his chest. "I know what you meant. And I think that's what made it so difficult. I mean, we hardly got a chance to talk to one another, yet walking by the studio door every 20 minutes didn't help me forget you were there."

"Speaking of studios," Tommy added, finally pulling away from Jude on the off-chance that her husband was on his way home, "we need to talk to Jamie about the current producing arrangement going on. I was in that studio from 10am to 6pm today. Either he finds an additional producer or we start dropping contracts with some of the artists."

Jude was particularly interested in the second option. "Ooh, I vote Bailey!"

Tommy shook his head. "You need to give the kid a break. She's just…"

"On so many uppers that Thorazine couldn't take her down?"

Tommy was lost. "What's Thorazine?"

"It's a highly lethal sedative used to treat psychotic disorders."

"I'm not going to even ask you where you got that information, but just remember how important she is for the company. She's got a powerful voice. I'm sure you'll get used to her eventually." He held her face in his hands. "I should hurry and get home before I end up passing out at the wheel."

Jude pouted her pink, glossy lips. "Must you go?"

Tommy was ready to give into the puppy dog expression on Jude's face, but didn't want to take any chances when neither of them knew exactly where Jamie was. "You know I must."

Deep down, Jude knew it was the right decision, but knowing didn't make it any easier to let go of him. Without releasing her face, he slowly bent his head down and tenderly kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes to memorize the full sensation of his lips on her skin.

"Mmm, that was sexy," Jude purred.

"I'll see you mañana, mamacita."


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter's not perfect and I could've made it better if I wanted to spend more time on it, but I have a million other things to do (including this new vampire story I'm working on…don't hate!) and I just don't have the time to be meticulous. The next chapter's almost done also so that should be up sooner than later. Peace thugs!**

Chapter 8

His repetitive pacing was distracting. At first she only noticed him walking by as an afterthought, that he must be busy going to and from other people's offices or the studios. But then his trips passed the open door became more frequent, and every time he did he would make a meaningful glance toward her before looking straight ahead again. Yes. He was definitely pacing.

Jamie was out with a potential client and would be doing so for at least another hour. Jude knew schmoozing was a delicate process for him—first the all-expenses-paid meal, then the namedropping, followed by committing to the ever-popular promises he probably couldn't keep—so she took the liberty of raiding his office and commandeering his computer. As his spouse and loyal employee, it seemed only fair to help Jamie with the paperwork. You know, take the load off of him for once. Only that's not how it happened. Not only was it the last thing on her mind, but she knew that if someone so much as touched anything in his filing cabinet, he would shut down the whole building as necessary, probably for a week or longer, in order to double check and make sure everything was in its rightful place.

His office was "hands off"…but Jude had a spare key. She wasn't making it a habit of sneaking into his personal space, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and this particular eBay bid made her more than desperate. The online auction was going to close this afternoon and she had to make sure no one else was going to grab it at the last minute.

It was in the bag, she could feel it. Only **12** minutes left. She wouldn't leave that computer until every second was used up. Jamie wouldn't be back for a while so she had plenty of time to lock up and make it look like no one was even there. Considering he was a tad anal about a lot of things, Jude made certain she meticulously memorized her surroundings before entering what would soon be the scene of the crime. She didn't want to take the risk of leaving any evidence behind.

**11** minutes left. She was getting closer. Damnit. He was doing it again. Jude didn't understand why Tommy was so preoccupied with walking by Jamie's office. His face looked so determined, almost like he had something to say. It was starting to freak her out. If he walked by again she would have to confront him about it. But in the nicest way possible.

Jude quickly looked back at the computer screen: **9** minutes left and no one else was bidding. This was a good sign. It could finally be hers. Her eyes drifted upward when she noticed movement by the doorway. Tommy again.

"Oh my god! Do you have OCD or something?"

Tommy stopped like a deer caught in the headlights. "What? Were you talking to me?" He tried to act completely oblivious.

"Well, considering you're the only person to walk by in the last 20 minutes, yeah; I'd say you're a viable candidate." Jude was frustrated. He may be drop dead gorgeous but it didn't excuse his distracting behavior. She had to focus on her main task. **8** minutes and counting. Fingers crossed. "What in god's name are you doing anyway?" She didn't let her eyes waver from the computer as she spoke.

Tommy gave a non-descript shoulder shrug. "Walking."

"Well, that's nice and all, and I'm glad you're taking an interest in your health," _although you honestly don't need it_, she silently thought to herself, "but if I keep seeing you out of the corner of my eye every 30 seconds, I'm gonna have a coronary. And if I die I'll make it my unfinished business to haunt you for the rest of your life."

"So, I take it you're busy?" he asked thoughtfully.

"Mmhm." Jude still didn't look up at Tommy. She was too enthralled with anticipating when the timer would change from **8** to **7** minutes.

Tommy could have been out of her hair in seconds. He knew the gentlemanly thing to do would have been to let her finish whatever it was she needed to do, and then find her later in the day. But he also knew that putting it off for even a few hours was still putting it off. He'd drawn this out for over a week now and, well, frankly it was time for him to man up. No more being a pussy. He's Tommy Q for goodness sake!

With all the confidence he could muster up, he stalked into Jamie's office and closed the door behind him, startling Jude and forcing her to finally tear her eyes away from the entrancing computer screen. "Tommy, what…"

"Jude, I need to ask you something." Tommy placed his hands firmly on the desk as he stood in front of her with an almost fierce glint in his eyes. "And I want you to be straight with me."

Out of fear, Jude blurted out the only thing that came to mind. "Look, Tommy, I swear I didn't give the sound techs that youtube link of your BoysAttack! crotch grab. I honestly don't know how they found it." Tommy had no idea what she was talking about, and as his eyebrows furrowed fixedly, Jude realized she said too much. "I mean, what? Of course. You need to ask me something? What is it?" She glanced back at the computer. **5** minutes! He better hurry up.

"Um, yeah. We're just gonna go straight passed whatever you just admitted and get to why I'm really here." His forehead began to perspire a little. He remembered feeling the same anxiety just before kissing Christie Larkenson in the 8th grade. "I need to ask you a question, and I have every intention of asking it right now, it's just…well, it's difficult to find the words because I'm not really used to…actually, I don't mean that I'm not used to it, more like the situation is slightly different than past, uh, situations and…"

"What the hell! Just say it already!" His constant mumbling was taking away from her precious eBay time. There was less than **5** minutes left and she was absolutely determined to finalize her purchase.

But then Tommy's words sounded unsuspectingly. "Do you want to go out on a date sometime?"

The words and images on the screen blurred together as her mind began to stray. She looked up at the man hovering over the desk and saw the pure trepidation in his eyes. It almost didn't make sense to her. Jude had to make sure she heard the man correctly, so she focused all her efforts on him and asked feebly, "I'm sorry, did you just say the word date? Like, me and you?"

"Uh." He fumbled with his answer. How adorable! If she had her way she'd be straddling him on top of the desk within seconds, but then she remembered where she was. She didn't want to lose her spare key privileges just yet. "Yeah. It's probably wishful thinking since we're not technically 'together' but…"

"Tommy Q wants to go on a date with me?" she blurted out blissfully. Her eyes started to glaze over as she fantasized about the date in question. Fine dining with only the best wines to choose from, seeing a romantic comedy at the local theater as they split a popcorn and large icee, going for a moonlit ride through the park in a horse-drawn carriage…okay, maybe the horses were a bit extravagant.

Tommy waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Jude, you alright? You looked very far away for a second."

She felt sheepish for fanaticizing in such a way, her cheeks instantly developing a light rouge tint. "Sorry. I was just…lost in thought." She quickly changed the subject. "So, tell me more about this 'date' plan of yours."

Tommy grinned. He was glad Jude was just as anxious to go on a date with him as he was with her. "Well," he began, "first I thought we'd go to dinner. Your choice of course, but I always find Italian to be a practical choice. Then, maybe, if you're up for it, we could go to…"

"Wait a minute. What am I thinking?" Jude interrupted wildly. "We can't go out in public; that means people will see us. Isn't the whole point of our secret relationship to remain, well, a secret?"

"I thought about that too. Actually, it was half the reason why I procrastinated asking you in the first place," Tommy stated matter-of-factly. "I knew you wouldn't approve going out to dinner with me on the off-chance that someone might recognize us, so I thought we could go somewhere in the suburbs. You know, where paparazzi and co-workers are few and far between."

Jude leaned back in the chair as it wobbled and swiveled slightly to the left. She used her feet to navigate herself back to facing Tommy. "So, what's the other reason? For procrastinating, that is." She looked at him keenly, expectantly waiting for one of the many endearing responses she secretly wanted to hear.

He delivered. "Because, Jude Harrison, you make me nervous. My reputation, of course, precedes me and I know everyone expects me to be a hot shot go-getter, but it's completely different with you. I want to do everything right this time." When Tommy thought about the statement he had made, he realized that everything still wasn't right considering Jude's marital status. They would always have that hindrance between them.

Jude smiled lazily as she leaned her face against her palm, backtracking to those wonderful fantasies from a moment ago that might hopefully mark the beginning phases of Tommy & Jude. "I prefer Fridays over Saturdays."

"Then it's a date." Now that the anticipation of her answer was unburdened, he went back to his usual practice of poking his nose in her business. "What are you doing in Jamie's office anyway? Won't he unleash the fires of Mount Doom on anyone who touches his stuff?"

Finally looking back at the screen, Jude discovered that the auction ended 3 minutes ago, and some punk with the username HaberDash47 made sure to place a higher bid at the last minute. Her bid was gone.

"I was just checking something on eBay. But it looks like I didn't get it."

"Let me see." Tommy took a closer look at the open internet page. "Is that a Pearl Jam drumhead?"

"Yeah, it's signed by the whole band and the chump was only selling it for $250."

"The whole band? You mean, including Eddie Vedder?"

"The one and only."

Tommy looked at Jude as if she were a stranger. "Wait, but you said you didn't get it?"

"Nope." Under normal circumstances, Jude would be reacting differently. In previous eBay wars, she even threatened to curse the unborn child of those individuals who outbid her, and those items didn't even come close to the superiority of this drumhead. But, for some reason, today was nothing like those other days. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

Tommy couldn't avoid his skepticism. "You're being shockingly cavalier about this whole thing. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. Now, let's get out of here before Sauron finds out we were in his office and sends his pesky army of orcs after us." Tommy silently obeyed but inwardly questioned why she effortlessly brushed off a chance at getting such a prestigious drumhead. "By the way, I'm glad you asked me out. Just, next time, don't take so long to do it."

That Friday finally came. It took them a while to find an evening where neither of them had plans, and even tonight they were cutting it close. Jude had to work at Bath & Body Works until 7pm and as hard as she tried, no one seemed available to take her shift. It was a week before Christmas and she knew they were short on staff as it was.

Their plan was to have Tommy pick her up outside of the store and then they would drive to the restaurant from there. She created an elaborate story for Jamie about visiting a friend in the suburbs, but he wasn't difficult to convince from the start. Work was his #1 priority anyway. Jude kept glancing at the clock as the hours slowly ticked away and brought her closer to her destination. She had been smiling all day in anticipation and even bought a new outfit for the occasion. Jude watched for the time on the clock less and less as the dinner rush swept the store in a flurry, leaving her no time for pause.

The store had been so chaotic in the last hour that Jude completely lost track of time. She was en route to asking an old woman if she needed help finding anything when she saw him.

Tommy was dressed in a grey silk button-up that complimented his black dress pants. His black leather shoes were so well-polished they looked brand new. She had spotted him with ease, but his eyes were still roaming the store for her. She could have made his task simpler by waving her hand or calling his name, but she continued to mutely stand there and stare at him. Him; the epitome of perfection. And the strangest part was that he was here looking for her. Sometimes she still had trouble believing how much he cared for her. It was like those 'knight in shining armor' dreams she used to have as a kid. Except, back then, her fantasy resembled Jason Priestley.

Tommy had finally found her standing next to a table stacked with anti-bacterial hand soaps. Her head was slightly tilted to the left as he presumed she was giving him the once-over…make that thrice-over. And then he winked at her. It was so sudden and out of the blue that Jude had a hard time responding normally. It was bad enough that he was dressed like a prince. The sexy wink only egged on her feeble knees as they collapsed from under her. She brought down about a dozen containers of soap with her.

"Oops. There I go again," Jude murmured to anyone that was in earshot. A couple of customers had turned around to see what the commotion was as Jude bent down to pick the products up. "Clumsy me. These anti-bacs can get a little unstable if stacked too high. Sorry. Does this one look cracked to you?"

A woman in front of Jude briefly inspected the plastic bottle in question before shaking her head. Tommy approached as she remained crouched on the ground, too embarrassed to stand back up again. "Need some help there?" he kindly offered.

"What? Oh, hi. Uh, no. I'm good, thanks." She speedily fixed the display before talking to him again. "Well, that was awkward. So, hi. What are you doing here? I thought you were, uh," she lowered her voice so that no one in the store could hear, "going to pick me up." Most of her coworkers knew she was married, so she didn't want them to see her leave with a strange man. She shifted her eyes casually as if she was involved in a high stakes operation and didn't want to blow her cover.

"Well, I was. But that plan was meant for," Tommy stuck out his arm so Jude could see the time on his watch, "about 15 minutes ago."

She grabbed his wrist to get a closer inspection. It was 7:21pm. "Holy crap! How did that happen? No one told me it was 7 o'clock yet. Okay. I promise I won't take more than five minutes. Go get the car and swing it 'round front."

Jude turned around to head into the back room but Tommy stopped her. "Wait a second. You haven't said anything about my clothes yet. I dressed up just for you."

"You claim it's for me but I know your vanity better than you do," Jude observed after rolling her eyes. She stepped closer to him and talked softly so no one else could hear her again. "But if you want a healthy tip, silk shirts suit you. You should buy more of them." That was the best he would get towards a compliment from her. Jude left and Tommy went to get his Viper.

Jude was true to her word and out of the store in five minutes. She kept the black work pants she had on for that day, sprucing them up with a pair of Kate Spade black satin heels. She also changed into a long sleeve jersey top, that was deep red and off the shoulder. The way the material clung to her hips and billowed freely in other areas made a part of Tommy's anatomy jolt as he shifted uncomfortably in the driver's seat.

She got in the car and gave him the flashiest grin, teeth glaring brightly.

Tommy smiled back. "You know, most people _wear_ coats instead of draping them over their arm. I think it has something to do with the fact that it's below freezing out since winter started."

"True. But blouses like this," she animatedly gestured to herself, "are meant to be shown off as often as possible. I'm just milking it for all that its worth."

Tommy shook his head and drove off toward Naperville. "Well, if it means anything, you look very beautiful this evening."

Jude tried to hide her blush but failed in vain. "Stop trying to literally charm the pants off me and start focusing on your driving. The faster you drive, the sooner I can get a drink."

"Long day?"

"The longest."

Tommy made it to downtown Naperville in record time, and Jude felt that same glow as she did the last time she was here. It was even more beautiful than before since the crystal-like snow covered the sidewalks like a white, downy blanket. Why couldn't she live here? It was quaint, better than the overly-busy atmosphere of the city, and even though it was an upper-class town, the price of everything here was still cheaper than what she always seemed to pay in Chicago. Jude knew in her heart that city-life would never quite live up to her standards like this place did. It reminded her of home.

They parked Tommy's car and walked toward the restaurant. "So, I've decided that we should have all our dates here," Jude said. "One, because Jamie hasn't discovered this place yet, so there's a minimal chance we'd run into him, and two…well, because I just adore it so much."

"Speaking of dates, I thought I might impose a rule on you. I know that sounds harsh, setting rules for dating, but I think we can both reasonably agree on this one thing."

Jude looked skeptical. "It depends what that 'one thing' is."

"Well, I was kind of hoping that whenever we go out like this we could try and not mention Jamie." Jude looked at Tommy knowingly, and with a hint of sympathy. "I realize it might sound a little immature, and I know we both work with him so he's bound to come up in everyday conversation, but, I don't know, being with you like this is my only sense of normalcy. I want to be able to look at you, talk to you, and kiss you without being reminded that I can never truly be with you."

"Oh, Tommy." Jude linked her arm beneath his and held him close to her. She knew exactly where he was coming from. Sometimes she did forget that she was someone else's wife, and in those moments she kind of liked pretending. It uncomplicated everything and she felt comfortable believing their relationship was real. "I don't know how you turned out to be such a romantic." She let her head gently rest on his shoulder. "For tonight, as well as, I hope, many more in the future," Jude slipped off her wedding ring and placed it in her coat pocket while keeping her arm intertwined with Tommy's, "I am just a girl from Cloverdale who was lucky enough to be asked out by a really great guy."

Tommy's loving gaze pierced her soul and gave her goosebumps. "Well this boy is glad that girl from Cloverdale moved to Chicago."

"So is she."

Jude couldn't think of an evening more enchanting than this one, and the night was still young.

Since Tommy made reservations at the Italian bistro, they were seated almost immediately. Patience was not one of Jude's recognizable virtues, so it was a credit on his part to ensure they didn't have to wait. Especially with the hectic day at work Jude had, her one-track mind was honing in on the many glasses of wine she needed to consume to calm her nerves. Not to say she was an alcoholic; it was something more along the lines of having a genuine dislike for holiday shoppers.

The red wine was aged well, providing the perfect accent to the delectable main courses. The food here was deliciously authentic. Jude had Venetian style lasagna stuffed with artichokes, spinach, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. Her mouth watered with every savory bite as she let it linger on her taste buds. Tommy went all out and ordered a rack of New Zealand lamb. Why they taste better from New Zealand, Jude didn't know, nor did she care to ask. He begged her on more than one occasion to try the lamb, but she was not privy to eating exotic meats and wasn't about to start now. Although, she didn't mind helping herself to a few spoonfuls of his citrus-flavored couscous. Jude could eat that stuff on a daily basis.

A short while later they walked off their meal by taking a quiet stroll through the Naperville Riverwalk. She didn't know what it was like during the day, but at night the riverwalk was serene. Granted the temperatures were frigid, and they couldn't last the cold air for more than 20 minutes, but in that short time nature was at its most exquisite. The world around her seemed to be in slow motion as Jude could hear the wind shake the icicles from the trees, and watch the frantic squirrel gather nuts buried in the snow. She was tempted to write a song that would transcribe the feelings she felt of being with Tommy in just this one night. She wasn't quite sure how to disguise the words though.

On the drive back to Chicago, Jude noticed that it wasn't even 11 o'clock yet. As a precaution—more like 'wishful thinking'—Jude told Jamie she might be spending the night at her friend's house if they decided to go out to a bar. She hadn't told Tommy this tidbit yet because she was nervous about how he might react. As much as she REALLY did enjoy the sex, she didn't want Tommy thinking it was the only thing she was interested in doing.

"What a gorgeous night," she muttered, more to herself than him.

"Yeah, there hasn't been a clear sky like this in days."

She hesitated, not sure if she was ready to say what she desperately wanted to. "Usually it gets this dark around midnight, but it's only 10:45pm. It's a lot earlier than I thought it would be."

"Do you want to come over?"

Jude was startled by has hasty question. "What? You mean, to your place?" She tried to hide her smile. "Um, yeah, sure. I guess I could since it's so early and all."

"Plus Jamie told me you were staying over at a friend's house tonight. I figured if you said that, you weren't in a rush to get home."

The deep blush on her cheeks was unmistakable. "You knew? This whole time I've been wondering whether or not I should say something and you knew? Wait a second, how did you know?"

Tommy laughed. "Actually, Jamie invited me over to watch the Bulls game tonight since you were going to have 'girl's night'. He told me you probably wouldn't be back till tomorrow since you like the sauce so much."

"What?" Jude shrieked. "He did not say that! You're a lying piece of shit." Tommy smiled victoriously as Jude continued to defend herself. "I'm not a drunk. I'm a casual drinker. And I'm freakin' 24 years old! I'm allowed to drink whatever the hell I want."

"Hey, I didn't say anything. I'm just the messenger," he replied defensively.

He was being snarky and she knew it too. If there was anything she hated more than snarky people it was ventriloquists, and she was darn lucky she didn't have to run into those on a regular basis. Talking puppets aside, Jude was done with Tommy's games, ready to sweep in for the kill. "Well, if I am such a nasty drunk maybe I shouldn't go home with you. Sleep sounds so much more appealing right now anyway."

Ouch. She pulled out the wildcard. Her secret weapon that could grant her an early victory. "Okay, okay, I take it back. No one thinks you're an alcoholic, and did I mention how gorgeous you look tonight?"

"Wow. Someone wants it bad," she said.

He shrugged. "I'm not gonna sugar coat it. I'm a man, and men have needs. Especially when those needs haven't been fulfilled in two weeks."

"Two weeks, huh? I guess that is the last time we had sex. And the fact that you haven't reverted into your playboy ways and banged the new intern is so loyal of you."

"Call me your lap dog," he said.

It was strangely quiet for the next few minutes. They were back in the city now and just a few blocks away from Tommy's apartment. It was obvious they were both thinking the same thing, and the silence only thickened the tense air between them. Yes, they had sex before. Yes, they enjoyed it immensely. But tonight would be the first night that said event was predetermined. The other two occasions happened on account of sheer lust and the impulse of the moment. How were they to proceed now?

The walked the short stretch from the parking lot to Tommy's apartment. Still silent. It wasn't until Tommy was about to unlock his door when Jude spoke, placing her hand on his arm to stop him. "This is weird."

"Weird how? Are you saying you want to leave?"

"No," Jude quickly responded. "That's not it at all. It's just," she drew out a long breath, "I always pictured first dates to end in, you know, a romantic kiss. I never really got that with Jamie since we had been friends for so long. Everything just kind of fell into place on its own."

"Jude, I…"

"And I'm sorry for bringing up Jamie. I know that's your one rule, and I fully endorse it, but I just wanted to tell you how I felt about this. I know that reality can't be like the fairy tale, but I wish some parts of it could."

Tommy fumbled with his keys for a moment before handing them to his date. "Jude, I said that I wanted to do things right with you. And I meant it."

She looked up at him confused. "But what does giving me your keys have to do with it?"

He grinned. "Because we just went on a date, and I just walked you to your door. This is where you say you had a wonderful time and I agree, saying we should do it again sometime. Then, when you're about to insert your key in the lock, you hesitate, turn around, and that's when I swoop in for the kiss."

"You can't rehearse a doorstep kiss," Jude protested, her playful smile betraying her all the while. "There's no script for real life."

Tommy shook his head. "We're not getting anywhere arguing so I suggest you play the part so we're not standing in a hallway for the next half hour."

She sighed before giving into his role playing charade. "So, I had a really wonderful time tonight."

"Me too. We should do it again sometime."

Jude wanted to laugh at the ridiculousness of their situation, but didn't want to ruin the moment as well. "Yeah, we should." She looked down at the set of keys in her hand, unsure which of the three unlocked his apartment door. She chose the shiny silver one.

"Actually, it's the one on the left," he said.

"Excuse me. Last time I checked, this was my place. You're ruining the illusion."

He scratched his head. "Um, I think you already did."

Jude threw up her hands. "Well, isn't that peachy. If you wanted to make it more realistic why don't we just drive all the way to my apartment and then I'll know which key to…"

Tommy pinned Jude's body against the door, stealing her lips for a passionate kiss. She didn't respond at first, too shocked by his impulsive maneuver, but quickly found her lips moving in sync with his. Her hands found his waist as he deepened the kiss, tongues massaging in a sensuous fervor. It was several minutes before Tommy found the stamina to detach himself from Jude, and another minute for both of them to recover.

He stared into her eyes with a deep wanting and began stroking the side of her face. "I had a _really_ wonderful time tonight." His words were so honest and pure.

"Me too," she said euphorically. "We should definitely do it again sometime."

Jude gave Tommy his keys back so he could unlock the door. She wasn't going to trifle with that obstacle for a second time. They finally made it into his apartment, but Jude had one more request before closing the door. "Wait, Tommy. Before we do this, I have a small favor to ask."

"Name it."

"Take your time with me. We're not in any hurry and I want to remember everything about this night."

He smiled. "Me too." He gave the door a nudge and it slowly closed shut.


	9. Chapter 9

**So I noticed I've been getting a lot of comments about Jamie and if he's going to find out soon, or what's been going on around his end of the story. To that, all I can say is: be patient. This story has been really important to me because I wanted to focus more on the characterization and the relationship between them. I wanted to make it seem real instead of some dramatic, intensified soap opera. What I wanted to convey is that love affairs happen, and it doesn't always involve murder and intrigue. In reality, we cherish and remember the little things in life. Therefore, give me a little bit more time to develop Jude and Tommy's relationship (since they're only on the cusp of it), and then everything (and everyone) else will unfold. Good night and good luck.**

Chapter 9

Three Months Later…

"I'm not saying I don't agree with you, Jude," Tommy exclaimed, leaning back in his chair as his fingers run through his well-quaffed hair. "I'm just saying that it's late, and I'm hungry, and we honestly haven't made any progress since we started listening to the CD four hours ago."

Jude looked down at the clock on the open laptop in front of her. "Gosh, is it really that late?"

"Well, if you'd tear your eyes away from that computer for a second you'd notice that all the lights are off in the building except for this room."

Jude looked at Tommy curiously. "You mean, even Jamie left before me?"

Tommy just shakes his head and closes the laptop so she won't be enticed to continue her work. "I guess I'm not surprised you didn't hear him come in and ask if you had a ride home. You were pretty engrossed in tweaking 'My Sweet Time' for…what was it? The 20th time?" Jude guiltily shifted her eyes and shrugged her shoulders before spinning around in her chair like a child. Grabbing the armrest of Jude's chair, he added, "Let's just call it a night and we'll start fresh tomorrow. This is what musicians call a 'roadblock' and the best thing to do is sleep on it and hope the construction clears by morning."

"Ooh, your place or mine?" Jude asked seductively, hopping on his lap without a second thought. His hand found its usual place on her thigh as she snaked her arms around his neck. He liked when her hands were there because she had a delightful habit of cascading her fingernails along the nape of his neck and up the back of his head. It sent chills down his spine every time she did it, and he felt almost compelled to give in to whatever she wanted in those moments. Staying late had its luxuries, so Jude made sure to secure the last session of the day as often as possible.

Since Eclectic Generation's grand opening over three months ago, they had found another producer, which freed up more of Tommy's time for Jude. Jamie was still too busy being the main operator to notice anything between them. He knew the first year or so would be the most taxing on him, especially with the limited number of employees and making or keeping in touch with contacts to get the label or his artists' names known. It wasn't a problem for him though. Jamie wasn't one for hobbies, like bowling or collecting stamps, so work was essentially what defined him.

"Jude," Tommy begged, almost scolding her for being the little temptress that she was. He removed her hands from his neck to allow himself to think straighter. "You know we can't. Taxes are coming up in less than a month so Jamie will be on no sleep trying to figure out all the calculations. I almost feel bad about leaving it all up to him."

Jude understood his concern. "You should've heard him last night. He was mumbling something about receipts in his sleep until he finally got up and started searching through all the drawers in our apartment. I couldn't tell if he was awake or still sleeping." Tommy pushed Jude's hair off her shoulder and began nuzzling her neck. Her face started to flush at the sensation of it. "So, since Jamie's still gonna be in this funk on Saturday, I was thinking of getting out of his hair to go shopping for some records I'm missing. There are a couple antique stores in the suburbs I wanted to hit."

"Let me guess. Because you've already ransacked all the ones in Chicago?"

Jude smiled, amazed at how easily he read her like a book. "Okay, but in my defense, I have lived here now for almost a year. I know my way around the city, and if there's a store I might like, then I'm gonna check it out. Anyway, unless you've already made plans with say, I don't know, a sexy brunette who moonlights as a swimsuit model, I thought you might like to tag along. If you're really good, I may even buy you ice cream," she teased.

"How many times do I have to tell you? She's not a swimsuit model, she's a gymnast." They always joked about Tommy having other girlfriends, but he didn't know that it based around Jude's own insecurity of not being good enough for him. "What time?"

"I get off work at 2pm, so any time after that."

Tommy contemplated the idea for a moment. Of course he wanted to spend the day with her, but he didn't want to look too eager and knew that coming up with a bargaining chip would make him look more manly. In control, so to speak. "I'll tell you what, if you let me take you home right now and you promise to get some sleep, then I'll be chivalrous and even buy the ice cream."

"Oh, goodie!" She thanked him with a kiss on the lips, which knowing them, turned into a five minute make out session.

"Alright, alright," Tommy protested, breaking contact first. "Enough with the sexual torment. If we don't leave now, you know we never will."

Jude pouted, reluctantly getting off his lap. "You're no fun." On impulse, she grabbed the keys to his Viper and made him chase her to the car. She loved playing hard to get, literally. It was another half hour before they made it to her apartment and regretfully parted ways.

The next day, Tommy barely made it through the front doors before Jude came barreling toward him. "Tommy, Tommy, Tommy!" she proclaimed loudly and in a sing-song voice. "You will never believe the epiphany I had last night!"

Tommy was ready to put restraints on Jude, she was so jumpy. "Slow down there, Bailey," he mocked.

Jude clenched her teeth. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear you say that only because I'm in such a good mind."

They headed to the locked studio, Jude picking up her backpack along the way.

Several minutes later—due to Tommy's insistence on getting a cup of coffee first—they were both comfortably sitting in front of the soundboard. Jude's large, green backpack was placed snugly between her crossed legs. Tommy took a sip. "Alright, hit me."

Jude smiled. "Yay! So, last night I tried to listen to the songs differently, you know, to get a different perspective."

"You didn't get any sleep last night did you?"

Jude ignored his question. "And I figured that most people listen to music on the side, kind of like a small comfort as they do chores, complete menial tasks, and what not. So, that 's what I did."

Tommy shook his head. "I'm beginning to think being a musician has turned you into an insomniac. Do you even remember how much you used to love sleep?"

"I've just been busy. Anyway, I put the CD on my iPod and then cleaned the kitchen, played a few games of solitaire, and even made a catalog of all my records. And you know what I realized after all that?" she asked enthusiastically.

"That you're borderline obsessive-compulsive?"

Ignoring Tommy's snarky comments had become a regularity over the last few months. "I realized that all the songs are perfectly fine the way they are!"

Tommy's face froze. "You're killing me, Harrison." He was ready to blow a fuse if all those hours of sitting and analyzing yesterday were for nothing.

"But," she chimed in again, grinning mischievously, "but, it's missing a pivotal song." Tommy leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes in hopes that his frustration would ease. As much as he cared for the big-eyed beauty next to him, her obsessions tended to give him a headache.

"You know how artists can get lucky enough to write a hit song, but only a few have written that one song that makes you stop whatever you're doing so you can fully focus on how deeply powerful the music is?"

"No."

"Well, that's exactly what this album needs. It'll be like the Pixies' 'Where is My Mind?', Jimi Hendrix's 'Castles Made of Sand', or even James Brown's 'A Man's World'…or New Kids on the Block's 'Please Don't Go Girl'."

Tommy jerked his head up. "What?"

"Just making sure you're still listening." Jude began unzipping the backpack in her clutches. "Now, the only snag is that I haven't actually found _the_ song yet, so," Jude grabbed a handful of used music notebooks from her bag and threw them on the soundboard, "I brought all the lyrics I've written over the years."

Tommy stared at the stack of books for a long time. Did she really expect him to help go through all those? There were at least eight music notebooks there. Some looked thinner than others. He guessed she ripped out pages of lyrics she didn't like. Nevertheless, Tommy knew that pure exhaustion was the only thing driving her right now. Digging up these old books was a feeble attempt of justifying her obsession. They'd be god damn lucky if they could find a decent song out of these pages.

There was only one thing to do. He needed to convince Jude to rest, and he had a pretty good idea of how to go about doing it. "Fine. I got an 11 o'clock session in here today but we can look through 'em until then."

Jude jumped out of her chair, knocking the bag on the ground, and excitedly hugged Tommy. She whispered softly in his ear, "I'd thank you differently but the door's still cracked open." Her words surprised Tommy and his arousal increased, but he forcefully put those thoughts behind him and focused on the matter at hand.

"Alright, stop getting all gushy and toss me one of those notebooks." She obeyed, and for the first few minutes they both sat in silence flipping through pages of lyrics until Tommy's plan began to unfold. 'It's a little too quiet in here. I'm gonna put on some mood music."

Jude nodded her head but continued to skim the pages in front of her. After setting up his laptop, Tommy browsed through his library until he found the right album. He pushed play.

Almost instantly Jude began drumming her fingers along with the beat. "Hm. Smashing Pumpkins. I love this album."

Tommy smiled. He slowly turned the pages of the book he held, searching for lyrics that stood out. He thought about Jude and how it would only be a matter of minutes until… "Ugh. This chair makes me back stiff. I'm gonna go sit on the couch." She got up and headed toward the comfy sofa.

Perfect. He felt like Mr. Burns in The Simpsons. She was doing everything according to plan. Excellent. He skipped to the last song which he knew would be her undoing. The next two minutes involved a series of yawns as her body slowly slumped down the couch. Tommy, of course, pretended to be ignorant of the whole situation as he reached for the next book.

Once he knew she was out, he put the album on repeat and turned the volume down. As he looked at Jude's sleeping form, he felt almost as peaceful as she finally looked. The studio tended to be drafty so he quietly grabbed the decorative throw hanging on the back of the couch and draped it over Jude.

He continued to flip through her music journals to please Jude. Plus, it was kind of cute seeing how much she had progressed lyrically over the years. Before he realized it, 11 o'clock rolled around and Jude was, thankfully, still sleeping. He was glad. She needed it.

"Yo, Tommy!" came a voice as a group of young men charged through the studio door. Tommy shushed them while pointing at sleeping beauty on the couch. They got the hint and started tip-toeing around the studio.

The shortest of the four sat in the seat Jude occupied earlier. "So, I guess my theory that this chick lives here is actually true. How'd you get Speedy Gonzales to conk out anyway?" he asked in a soft voice.

Tommy shrugged his shoulders confidently. "_Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness._ It works every time. The Pumpkins are like her own personal kryptonite."

"Wicked," replied the drummer whose eyes were laced in dark eyeliner. "So, how we gonna play with her in here?"

"Actually, since Studio C is closer to the back door where you guys haul the instruments in, let's just work in there for today. Thursday's are slow anyway so it should be free."

Shorty got out of his chair and started walking with the others out of the studio. "Schveet! By the way, T-dawg, we changed our name again."

"No we didn't," one of the others butted in, "he's just pissed that we didn't like his suggestions. We're the Komodo Dragons and that's final." He pushed his band mate out into the hall before he could say anything against the matter.

Tommy shook his head and eventually followed the guys to Studio C.

After the session, Tommy was surprised to find Jude in the same state he left her in. He wondered if Jamie knew where she was, or if he even cared to know. The last time he passed by Jamie's office, the poor guy was swamped in so much paperwork, a natural disaster wouldn't have stopped him from working.

Since he was so amused earlier by going through her old notebooks, Tommy decided to continue where he left off. He carefully went through the stack and picked out the spiral that looked the oldest, interested in reading some of the stuff she wrote as a teen. Upon doing so, a folded piece of loose leaf slipped out of the book and fell onto the floor. Tommy curiously picked up the paper and, after a quick glance at Jude, read it.

Jude woke up 20 minutes later with a stretch and a loud yawn. She smiled contently until she realized what had happened, causing her to bolt upright with a start. She was fully alert now and angry because of all the time she wasted.

Tommy then came back in, a half-eaten tuna sandwich in hand.

"You!" she yelled. "You let me fall asleep. I ought to castrate you!"

Tommy finished chewing and swallowed the large bite he took before replying to her empty threat. He wasn't concerned for his manhood as much as she wanted him to be. "Relax, Harrison. I did you a favor. Besides, I think I found the song you're looking for."

She continued ranting. "You know how important this album is to me and the sooner I get this finished means, hopefully, the sooner I can quit my retail job and…what do you mean you found the song?"

"Well, granted I don't know how the song goes, but the lyrics you wrote were pretty powerful. So I thought if you still remembered it, we could try it out."

Jude was confused, but curious, nonetheless. What song did she forget to write sheet music to? More importantly, what made this song stick out in Tommy's mind? The intrigue of the song made her sort of forget her tiff with Tommy. To be honest, she felt a lot more invigorated than she did three days ago. She knew she was obsessing over the album, but it was her first one and she wanted to make it big. The second it was done she would probably sleep for days. "Alright, hand it over and let me be the judge of that."

As Tommy placed the piece of paper in Jude's hands, her newly open eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the words on the page. She saw them now and wasn't entirely sure how to respond. She stared at the object in her hands for the longest time, wondering whether she should crumple it up, or tear it in a million pieces, or just ignore it and move onto the next possible song.

Right now all she really wanted to do was cry and Tommy took note of it. "Hey, what's wrong?" He wanted to comfort her in the only way he knew how but it would have been a big mistake with the studio door wide open.

"Um, nothing," she lied, wiping any evidence of tears from her eyes. "I just don't think I should do this song so let's find another one."

"Honestly, Jude," he quickly replied, "I looked through a lot of the notebooks and while some of the songs were good, none reached the level of raw emotion this one did. It could be huge for you."

Jude let the page slip from her fingers as she walked back over to the couch. "Yeah, well, it's also from a _huge_ part of my life that I don't like to bring up."

Tommy had an idea of what the song was about, but he wasn't going to pry. He just needed to convince Jude that this was the right song for her album, so she wouldn't regret not even giving it a try. "Look, Jude, I know better than anyone that some memories hurt, but suppressing them isn't going to make it any easier. You're a true musician; you write songs from the heart. If you want to connect with your fans, you have to be comfortable with opening yourself up to them…through your songs."

Jude's eyes were watering again. She didn't know why Tommy was being so relentless about the song. "Yeah, except I'm not ready to share my deepest, darkest secrets with the world. This part of my life is nobody's business but my own."

"It's not like anything is blatantly written on the page. The words itself could mean a number of things for different people."

He still wasn't giving up. It started to make her angry at how much he was fighting this. "Oh, really? You want me to open up to them? Then how about I write a song about a woman having an affair and see how everyone interprets that."

The door was still open, and Tommy glanced out of it to see if anyone nearby had heard Jude's last comment. She didn't seem to cause a stir just yet. "Jude," he whispered, "I think you should lower your voice. You're getting a little hysterical and we don't want to draw attention to ourselves." He dramatically nodded his head toward the door for further emphasis.

Jude was fed up with this argument and the way Tommy was acting. It wasn't like him. To be honest, space seemed like the most practical option for the time being. "You're right," she started, calmly. "I was being hysterical, so I'm gonna do us both a favor and go cool off. Oh, and you might as well cancel our session today cuz this 'cooling off' period is going to take at least a day…if not longer." She grabbed her backpack and began shoving all the notebooks back in it.

The last thing Tommy wanted was for Jude to get mad at him. He just hoped she could channel her own personal turmoil into singing the song, not close up in front of him and want to run away. Her actions were oddly familiar. "Jude, please don't do this."

Once her backpack was zipped up tight, Jude gave Tommy one more chance to redeem himself. "I'm not doing anything. And that's the problem, isn't it? You want me to do something that I don't feel comfortable doing. Right?"

Tommy knew she was look for a specific answer, but he still thought he could make her see his side of the argument. "Only because I don't see why it's such a problem. You can't bottle your feelings up like this all the time. It's not healthy."

She sighed. "I'm sorry you feel that way. Cuz I'm just doing what's best for me right now. We're all allowed selfish tendencies from time to time…and this one's mine. I don't want to do the song." Jude slung the backpack over her shoulder carelessly. "Call me when you're ready to agree with these terms." And she was gone.

They hadn't parted so coldly like that since the first night they made love in his car. He remembered that night well. Remembered the regret. Remembered the silence. The one thing he regretted most was not talking to her sooner. When she clearly wanted space that night, he let time pass too fleetingly. And a month went by before he saw her again. It was torture for him, and he suspected not much fun for her either. He wasn't going to let her escape again. He needed to see her, and explain his actions. And he needed to do it soon. Like tonight.


End file.
